Matthew CollinsBiopathocodicology?? 🦠🧬🐑 (1/4)
Check out this groundbreaking new #aDNA #pathology paper by @[email protected] @[email protected] and colleagues!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
The team recovered 21 novel ancient sheeppox virus (SPPV) genomes, dating back as far as ~3,700 years to the #Bronze Age. These are currently the oldest Poxviridae genomes ever recovered. (2/4)
In a scientific first, they successfully retrieved #pathogen genomes from medieval #parchment and paper #manuscripts 📖 - revealing that historical documents are an under-recognised source of ancient #disease data. (3/4)
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Key findings:
🔹SPPV has threatened Eurasian food security for nearly 4 millennia.
🔹Major lineages diverged ~11,500–3,700 years ago, coinciding with sheep domestication.