This document discusses lice, which are considered living fossils. It covers the major groups of lice, their evolution, and their co-evolution with primates over millions of years. Specifically, it examines primate lice, human lice, the co-evolution of lice with primates and humans, and uses fossil evidence to study the age of lice and their co-evolutionary history.

1. Lice
The Living Fossils
Vincent S. Smith

2. Major Groups of Lice

3. Evolution

4. Co-Evolution

5. Primate Lice

6. Human Lice

7. Primate Lice

8. Primates
?

9. Co-evolution
?
1.2 My
Time
5.4 My
8.8 My

10. Recent Human Evolution
Europe Africa Asia Americas
0
Age (million
years ago)
1.0
2.0

11. Co-evolution

12. “Archaic” and modern humans made contact

13. Fossil Lice

14. Age of Lice
?
Time