How Did Bed Bugs Evolve?
WouterBedbugs evolved from a group of creatures that lived in North Africa, Europe, and Asia. The ancient creatures were able to migrate across the Mediterranean Sea and spread from one continent to another. The first archaeological discoveries of bedbugs in Egypt date back to 3550 BC. Similarly, the first evidence of these creatures being associated with humans was found in Greece around 400 BC. This could indicate that the evolution of bedbugs is very old.
According to recent DNA sequencing, bedbugs are actually bat-like creatures. They evolved from their ancestral blood-sucking ancestors. While the exact timing of their evolution is unknown, the findings support the theory that bat-like creatures first fed on bats before they spread to humans. Once they migrated into human habitats, they hitchhiked into new caves and dwellings.
The authors of the study studied genetic material from 34 species of bedbugs collected over a 15-year period. Some samples were provided by natural history museums while others were collected by scientists in the field. The researchers traveled the globe in order to track down the different genera and populations of these creatures. In some cases, they waded knee-deep in bat guano to capture specimens from cave walls.
The study also revealed that bedbugs were extremely adept at adapting to their environment. Because of this, the study was able to identify more than sixty-two different species from various localities. This indicates that bedbug populations may continue to evolve.
