In a nutshell
- Bed bugs have been living with humans for over 13,000 years, making them the first true urban pest species that evolved alongside early cities.
- DNA analysis reveals bed bug population changes mirror major events in human history, from Ice Age crashes to urban population booms.
- Modern bed bug infestations represent the latest chapter in an ancient evolutionary partnership that began when humans first built permanent settlements.
BLACKSBURG, Va. — When our ancestors first gathered in the world’s earliest cities 10,000 years ago, they weren’t alone. Tiny, blood-sucking hitchhikers were already lurking in their dwellings, and new genetic research reveals these bed bugs beat every other pest to urban living by thousands of years.
Scientists analyzing bed bug DNA from the Czech Republic discovered something remarkable: these notorious insects have been tracking human demographic patterns with startling accuracy, evolving alongside us as we shifted from nomadic life to city living. The research paints a picture of an evolutionary partnership that began when humans first started building permanent settlements.
“Bed bugs may represent the first true urban pest insect species,” the researchers conclude in their study, published in Biology Letters, making these creatures pioneers of city living right alongside humanity…