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Lice glue preserves the DNA of ancient mummies

 

Recommended for Secondary Grades

Lice Glue holds the DNA of ancient humans who existed 2,000 years ago.

Do you know what lice are? Lice are tiny parasitic insects that feed on human blood.

What is lice glue?

Lice glue is a substance secreted by female lice in order to attach their eggs to the hair.

Recently, scientists have found lice eggs stuck into human hair after 10,000 years. A researcher named Alejandra Perotti and her team stated that lice glue is able to preserve everything that is encased in it.

In a recent study, the team has found DNA preserved in the lice glue which they use to stick their eggs into human hair.

Information about the DNA

The team found that the DNA found in the lice glue is proportionate to the DNA found in a tooth or in the petrous bone of the skull.

Upon studying the DNA, the research team declared that it belonged to ancient humans, that is, 2,000-year-old humans. Alejandra Perotti and her team discovered that these ancient humans came from rainforests in Southern Venezuela and Colombia.

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