Scientists say face mites evolved alongside humans since the dawn of human origins
Scientists have discovered a universal human truth about our bodies: they all, without exception, have mites. A landmark new study, led by scientists at Bowdoin and the California Academy of Sciences, explores the fascinating, little-known natural history of the face mite species Demodex folliculorum, using genetic testing to link the microscopic animal’s evolution to our own ever-evolving human story. By zooming in on a type of genetic material (called mitochondrial DNA) in mite samples from around the world, scientists discovered that different human populations have different mites, that those mites follow families through generations, and that they are not casually transferred between humans. The study is published today in the Early Edition of the journal PNAS.