[Stone age deerfly (Lipoptena cervi) found with a mummy in a glacier].

Abstract

In hair samples from the accompanying equipment of a human mummy preserved in glacial ice in South Tyrol for more than 5000 years, numerous remains of insects were found. These fragments corresponded in form, size and structural organization to the features of the deer ked, Lipoptena cervi. Considering the biology and ecology of L. cervi with regard to the finding place of the mummy at an altitude of 3210 m above sea level in a glacier it is concluded that the deer keds invaded the equipment before and not after the death of the Stone Age man.