The Rapid Spread and Dominance of Bed Bugs Across Human Populations
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Bedbugs: Ancient Companions Turned Urban Pests
In a new study, researchers reveal that bedbugs, feasting on human blood for millennia, emerged as parasites during the onset of urban life.
Urban Pests from the Dawn of Cities
Published in the journal "Biology Letters," the researchers propose that bedbugs could have been the first creatures associated with urban existence. The study suggests their population growth was directly linked to the expansion of human settlements and the rise of cities.
Similar patterns of growth were observed in other parasites such as the German cockroach and house rat, which emerged later. Urban living conditions, offering a dense population of hosts, proved an ideal environment for these parasites.
The earliest records of bedbug infestations date back to ancient Egypt, around three thousand years ago, as researchers detail.
Sharing Hosts: From Bats to Humans
Originally, bedbugs were parasites of bats. However, around 245,000 years ago, they began to feed on early Hominini. Two genetically distinct lines of bedbugs emerged, forming one line associated with bats, predominant in Europe and the Near East, and another linked to humans, now widespread worldwide.
Feeding on humans proved a smart move for bedbugs, as humans became increasingly sedentary, forming a veritable paradise for these blood-sucking parasites. This notion is supported by a comparative analysis of genome sequences coupled with demographic models, as explained by the research team led by Lindsay Miles and Warren Booth from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg.
A Growing Population with Human Settlements
The human population, which has grown from five million at the onset of civilization around 10,000 years ago to over eight billion today, played a significant role in the bedbug population explosion. The oldest known large settlement, Çatalhöyük in the Anatolian region of Turkey, dates back over 9,000 years and housed between 800 and 8,000 residents, according to the study.
As humans moved into permanent settlements, the bedbug population experienced a dramatic surge approximately 13,000 years ago. In contrast, the bat-associated line did not show the same development and declined after the last ice age around 20,000 years ago.
The temporal pattern and magnitude of demographic changes suggest a strong association between bedbug history and that of modern humans and their urban expansion. Bedbugs may have been the first true urban parasites.
Bedbugs in Modern Times
France experienced a surge in bedbug-related hysteria in 2023, with reports and images flooding in from cinemas, trains, and other public places. Despite increasing bedbug sightings in the country, according to official data, political leaders have accused Russia of fueling the sudden social media frenzy.
Each female bedbug can lay one to twelve eggs daily, potentially causing an epidemic in just ten weeks under favorable conditions. Bedbugs target warm-blooded animals that return to the same location to rest, such as human beds.
Sources: ntv.de, Annett Stein, dpa
Information taken from the Enrichment Data has been incorporated into the article for clarity and context.
- The temporal pattern of bedbug growth, linked to the expansion of human settlements and urban life, is reminiscent of the growth patterns observed in other related fields such as education, where advancement is directly tied to human development and the growth of knowledge.
- Understanding the history and evolution of bedbugs aids in shedding light on the origins of various medical-conditions, opening up opportunities for research in health-and-wellness, particularly in the realm of science, where the focus is on unveiling the mysteries of our world.
