The work is based on the subtle differences between human body lice, which lay their eggs in and depend on clothing for survival, and human head lice, which do not.
The finding implies that early humans may have lived in Europe for tens of thousands of years after leaving Africa before they starting donning garments of any sort. The researchers believe that this is consistent with growing – albeit controversial – evidence that humans evolved in Africa and migrated into Europe some 100 000 years ago. Ultimately what the study implies though, is that humans started wearing clothes more recently than previously thought, a finding that contradicts the traditional image of a hairless early human clad in animal skin. The study could also prove to be fruitful in finding out why and when humans shed their body hair, something that has been puzzling experts for years. (iafrica.com)
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