The tiny mites that have sex on our faces could become extinct.

The host can be harmed by genetic changes in parasitic mites that live and breed on human faces, according to a recent study. These 0.3 millimetre length organisms may be in danger of going extinct due to inbreeding and gene loss, according to research that was published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

The parasitic mite Demodex folliculorum, which can be found on the brows, eyelashes, or in close vicinity to the nose, was the subject of the investigation. The study did not look at Demodex brevis, the other recognised type of face mite.

These parasites have evolved to dwell in the protection of skin pores, according to Alejandra Perotti, co-leader of the study and associate professor of invertebrate biology at the University of Reading.

This is expensive: The researchers documented the DNA alterations that resulted in the peculiar physical characteristics and behaviours.

The research showed how primitively evolved the species has become. They have the lowest protein requirements of any closely related species, according to the study. Inbreeding, they emphasised, does not lead to the introduction of new genes.