David Reed has never had lice, but now as an assistant curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, he is spending nearly $1 million on a global study of these parasites.
Empowered by a $934,498 grant from the National Science Foundation, Reed and about 14 researchers are conducting a worldwide effort to study and trace the evolutionary biology of humankind through lice.
The study, which competed with other proposals in a National Science Foundation competition, will allow Reed to understand human migration patterns by following the dispersion of lice out of Africa.
Reed said lice share the same evolutionary history with humans, adding that modern human origins can be traced back to Africa some 100,000 years ago.
"We're their only host, so they're stuck to us like glue," Reed said.
"Wherever we go, they're going to follow us around as long as they can survive, and we've been unsuccessful in trying to eradicate them."
Head lice, according to a Healthline Web site, is the second most common communicable health issue in children behind only the common cold, affecting 6 million to 12 million children a year.
"I'm sure people will be surprised when they find out these yucky parasites have such an important story to tell," Reed said.
