Humans moving to ancient cities sent bedbug numbers soaring, say scientists
by Ian Sample Science editor from Science | The Guardian on (#6XJRT)
The insects had been in decline until people started cramming together in the first large settlements
They survived the catastrophe that wiped out the dinosaurs, but bedbugs were in decline until the invention of the city, which sent their numbers soaring, researchers say.
Genetic analysis of a group of bedbugs showed their history was entwined with the human story, with the blood-sucking parasites spreading and thriving as humans crammed together in large settlements.
Continue reading...