NOOOO!: Feathered Dinos Probably Had Lice

I have been itching a lot lately.

Seen here looking none too happy about it, a feathered dinosaur RAWRs in annoyance over his lice infestation. You know, it wouldn't kill you to take a mud bath every once in awhile. But it probably would kill you if earth got hit by a giant mete-- too soon?

"Our analysis suggests that both bird and mammal lice began to diversify before the mass extinction of dinosaurs," principal investigator Kevin Johnson was quoted as saying in a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign press release. "And given how widespread lice are on birds, in particular, and also to some extent on mammals, they probably existed on a wide variety of hosts in the past, possibly including dinosaurs."

That view is strengthened in the journal paper itself. The researchers write: "These data give an early- to mid-Cretaceous origin (115 - 130 million years ago) for lice, which suggests that these parasites probably infested feathered theropod dinosaurs."

Eh, I think we can all agree that just as long as they weren't host to pubic lice it's all good. And by "it's" I mean my bush. I don't need no creepy-crawlies in my drawers! You hear that, lil phantom spider I'm convinced lives in my ass?! "Uh, GW? You probably have worms."
...
...
I did eat a raw pork chop.

Feathered Dinosaurs Probably Had Lice [discovery]

Thanks to Vanessa, who claims she once bought a Cabbage Patch Doll that had ticks. Hey, that's the risk you run buying toys at yard sales.

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