Gene analysis shows head and body lice to be the same species

A recent full-gene comparison between body lice and head lice has demonstrated that their genomes are close enough to be classed as the same species.

The work by Olds et al. appears in the April 2012 edition of Insect Molecular Biology. A comparative genomic analysis of head and body lice (around 10770 genes in each) found one gene that differed in sequence between the two kinds of lice, and that around 14 genes showed significant differences in expression.

The authors conclude that the genetic similarity between the two types strongly implies that they are of the same species. The genetic anlaysis performed on these lice provides key foundations for future anti-lice treatment.