02172nas a2200181 4500008004100000022001400041245009100055210006900146260001600215300001000231490000700241520156000248100002401808700002801832700003201860700002001892856007801912 2023 eng d a1932-620300aNuclear genetic diversity of head lice sheds light on human dispersal around the world0 aNuclear genetic diversity of head lice sheds light on human disp cNov-08-2023 a30 pp0 v183 a

The human louse, Pediculus humanus, is an obligate blood-sucking ectoparasite that has coevolved with humans for millennia. Given the intimate relationship between this parasite and the human host, the study of human lice has the potential to shed light on aspects of human evolution that are difficult to interpret using other biological evidence. In this study, we analyzed the genetic variation in 274 human lice from 25 geographic sites around the world by using nuclear microsatellite loci and female-inherited mitochondrial DNA sequences. Nuclear genetic diversity analysis revealed the presence of two distinct genetic clusters I and II, which are subdivided into subclusters: Ia-Ib and IIa-IIb, respectively. Among these samples, we observed the presence of the two most common louse mitochondrial haplogroups: A and B that were found in both nuclear Clusters I and II. Evidence of nuclear admixture was uncommon (12%) and was predominate in the New World potentially mirroring the history of colonization in the Americas. These findings were supported by novel DIYABC simulations that were built using both host and parasite data to define parameters and models suggesting that admixture between cI and cII was very recent. This pattern could also be the result of a reproductive barrier between these two nuclear genetic clusters. In addition to providing new evolutionary knowledge about this human parasite, our study could guide the development of new analyses in other host-parasite systems.

1 aAscunce, Marina, S.1 aToloza, Ariel, Ceferino1 aGonzález-Oliver, Angélica1 aReed, David, L. uhttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.029340901034nas a2200337 4500008004100000022002500041245010800066210006900174260001600243300001200259490000700271653001300278653001000291653000900301653002200310653002800332653001800360653001000378653003100388653001700419653001400436100001700450700002500467700001900492700002300511700003100534700002900565700002400594700001500618856006300633 2018 eng d a0962-1083, 1365-294X00aFeather mites play a role in cleaning host feathers: New insights from DNA metabarcoding and microscopy0 aFeather mites play a role in cleaning host feathers New insights cMay-03-2018 a203-2180 v2810abacteria10abirds10adiet10aDNA metabarcoding10aecological interactions10afeather mites10afungi10ahigh-throughput sequencing10ainteractions10aSymbionts1 aDoña, Jorge1 aProctor, Heather, C.1 aSerrano, David1 aJohnson, Kevin, P.1 avan Oploo, Arnika, Oddy‐1 aHuguet‐Tapia, Jose, C.1 aAscunce, Marina, S.1 aJovani, R. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mec.1458102684nas a2200193 4500008004100000245014400041210006900185260001200254300001100266490000600277520204600283100002402329700001802353700001402371700001302385700001902398700002002417856005302437 2013 eng d00aNuclear Genetic Diversity in Human Lice (Pediculus humanus) Reveals Continental Differences and High Inbreeding among Worldwide Populations0 aNuclear Genetic Diversity in Human Lice Pediculus humanus Reveal c02-2015 ae576190 v83 a

Understanding the evolution of parasites is important to both basic and applied evolutionary biology. Knowledge of the genetic structure of parasite populations is critical for our ability to predict how an infection can spread through a host population and for the design of effective control methods. However, very little is known about the genetic structure of most human parasites, including the human louse (Pediculus humanus). This species is composed of two ecotypes: the head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer), and the clothing (body) louse (Pediculus humanus humanus Linnaeus). Hundreds of millions of head louse infestations affect children every year, and this number is on the rise, in part because of increased resistance to insecticides. Clothing lice affect mostly homeless and refugee-camp populations and although they are less prevalent than head lice, the medical consequences are more severe because they vector deadly bacterial pathogens. In this study we present the first assessment of the genetic structure of human louse populations by analyzing the nuclear genetic variation at 15 newly developed microsatellite loci in 93 human lice from 11 sites in four world regions. Both ecotypes showed heterozygote deficits relative to Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and high inbreeding values, an expected pattern given their parasitic life history. Bayesian clustering analyses assigned lice to four distinct genetic clusters that were geographically structured. The low levels of gene flow among louse populations suggested that the evolution of insecticide resistance in lice would most likely be affected by local selection pressures, underscoring the importance of tailoring control strategies to population-specific genetic makeup and evolutionary history. Our panel of microsatellite markers provides powerful data to investigate not only ecological and evolutionary processes in lice, but also those in their human hosts because of the long-term coevolutionary association between lice and humans.

1 aAscunce, Marina, S.1 aToups, M., A.1 aKassu, G.1 aFane, J.1 aScholl, Katlyn1 aReed, David, L. uhttps://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.005761902193nas a2200265 4500008004100000245008000041210006900121260001400190300001400204490000800218520139800226653001501624653002001639653001501659653002201674653001401696100002401710700001301734700001401747700002801761700002701789700003201816700002001848856005901868 2013 eng d00aMitochondrial diversity in human head louse populations across the Americas0 aMitochondrial diversity in human head louse populations across t cJuly-2013 a118 - 1290 v1523 a

Anthropological studies suggest that the genetic makeup of human populations in the Americas is the result of diverse processes including the initial colonization of the continent by the first people plus post‐1492 European migrations. Because of the recent nature of some of these events, understanding the geographical origin of American human diversity is challenging. However, human parasites have faster evolutionary rates and larger population sizes allowing them to maintain greater levels of genetic diversity than their hosts. Thus, we can use human parasites to provide insights into some aspects of human evolution that may be unclear from direct evidence. In this study, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from 450 head lice in the Americas. Haplotypes clustered into two well‐supported haplogroups, known as A and B. Haplogroup frequencies differ significantly among North, Central and South America. Within each haplogroup, we found evidence of demographic expansions around 16,000 and 20,000 years ago, which correspond broadly with those estimated for Native Americans. The parallel timing of demographic expansions of human lice and Native Americans plus the contrasting pattern between the distribution of haplogroups A and B through the Americas suggests that human lice can provide additional evidence about the human colonization of the New World

10ahuman lice10ahuman parasites10amigrations10amitochondrial dna10anew world1 aAscunce, Marina, S.1 aFane, J.1 aKassu, G.1 aToloza, Ariel, Ceferino1 aPicollo, María, Inés1 aGonzález-Oliver, Angélica1 aReed, David, L. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.2233602305nas a2200205 4500008004100000245010200041210006900143520159100212653001301803653001401816653001801830100001301848700002401861700001401885700002801899700002701927700003201954700002001986856009302006 2014 eng d00aMitochondrial Diversity of Human Head Lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) Across the Americas0 aMitochondrial Diversity of Human Head Lice iPediculus humanus ca3 a

A poster presentation of mitochondrial diversity of human head lice across Americas. 

Background

•Sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) are permanent and obligate ectoparasites of eutherian mammals. These highly specialized blood-sucking insects live in close association with their hosts where they complete their entire life cycle. This relationship has led to coevolution in which parasite diversification parallels that of the host (Figure 3 of poster).

• The human head louse has coevolved with humans over millions of years (Figure 1, Figure 2 of poster). Therefore, louse molecular data is valuable for studying the evolutionary history of lice and their human hosts.

•Human head lice are genetically diverse and have 3 deeply divergent mitochondrial (mtDNA) clades, named A, B, and C.

•Clothing lice (clade A) has been known to carry three bacterial pathogens. Genotypic louse data would be valuable to determine which clades of head lice have the potential to be carriers in order to combat resistance to pediculcides.

•Previous studies suggest that the three head louse clades have different evolutionary histories. Clade A appears to be uniquely linked to its Homo sapiens host (modern humans). Clade B, however, appears to have evolved on an archaic hominin in Europe (possibly H. neanderthalensis) and later switched to modern H. sapiens. Clade C appears to have evolved on an archaic hominin in Asia (possibly H. erectus) or Africa.

10aAmericas10ahead lice10amitochondrial1 aFane, J.1 aAscunce, Marina, S.1 aKassu, G.1 aToloza, Ariel, Ceferino1 aPicollo, María, Inés1 aGonzález-Oliver, Angélica1 aReed, David, L. uhttps://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2017/03/fane_head-lice.pdf00702nas a2200217 4500008004100000020001800041022002600059245006000085210005600145260004200201300001400243100002000257700002100277700001800298700001900316700002400335700001800359700002300377700002800400856005600428 2015 eng d a9781107037656 aOnline: 978113979474900aThe study of primate evolution from a lousy perspective0 astudy of primate evolution from a lousy perspective aCambridgebCambridge University Press a202 - 2141 aReed, David, L.1 aAllen, Julie, M.1 aToups, M., A.1 aBoyd, Bret, M.1 aAscunce, Marina, S.1 aMorand, Serge1 aKrasnov, Boris, R.1 aLittlewood, Timothy, J. uhttp://ebooks.cambridge.org/ref/id/CBO9781139794749