Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu về sinh học được đăng trên tạp chí sinh học Journal of Biology đề tài: Apes, lice and prehistory. | Journal of Biology BioMed Central Review Apes lice and prehistory Robin A Weiss Address Division of Infection and Immunity University College London 46 Cleveland Street London W1T 4JF UK. Email Published 10 February 2009 Journal of Biology 2009 8 20 doi jbiol114 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at http content 8 2 20 2009 BioMed Central Ltd Abstract Although most epidemic human infectious diseases are caused by recently introduced pathogens cospeciation of parasite and host is commonplace for endemic infections. Occasional host infidelity however provides the endemic parasite with an opportunity to survive the potential extinction of its host. Such infidelity may account for the survival of certain types of human lice and it is currently exemplified by viruses such as HIV. Hans Zinsser s Rats Lice and History 1 is a classic in microbiology. Written in 1934 and subtitled The biography of a bacillus it tells the tale of that dreaded disease typhus its reservoir in rats and its transmission among humans by lice. Here I discuss how we may in the course of prehistory have acquired the lice and how other infections may like the typhus bacillus come to be shared by us and the animal species with which we are in close contact. It is a tale of infidelity that I shall begin with the recent research on lice of David Reed and colleagues 2 3 and of Mark Stoneking s group 4 who on the basis of phylogenetic analysis have speculated that we may have acquired a clade of head lice from another hominid species and pubic lice from gorillas they have also suggested that lice might help determine the date when humans adopted clothing. I shall examine this unfolding story in the context of what we know about microbial infections and will look at the promiscuity of viruses through the lens of modern molecular technology and I will add my own speculation on why naked apes have pubic hair. Lice are small .
