The Stone Age Plague and Its Persistence in Eurasia.

Area of Science:

• Paleogenomics
• Ancient DNA Analysis
• Bacterial Evolution
• Archaeogenetics

Background:

• Yersinia pestis is the bacterium responsible for plague, historically causing devastating pandemics.
• Previous findings suggest Yersinia pestis circulated in human populations before the first documented pandemic.
• The Late Neolithic to Bronze Age (LNBA) was a period of significant cultural change and increased human mobility in Europe.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and phylogenetic relationships of Yersinia pestis in prehistoric Europe.
• To reconstruct the early spread and movement patterns of Yersinia pestis.
• To correlate pathogen dynamics with human population movements during the LNBA.

Main Methods:

• Generation and analysis of six new Yersinia pestis genomes from European LNBA archaeological sites.
• Phylogenetic analysis of ancient Yersinia pestis strains.
• Integration of ancient pathogen genomic data with existing ancient human genomic and archaeological evidence.

Main Results:

• All known Late Neolithic to Bronze Age Yersinia pestis strains form a single, distinct, and likely extinct clade.
• The data suggest Yersinia pestis entered Europe from Central Eurasia, potentially linked to steppe population expansions.
• The pathogen appears to have persisted in Europe until the mid-Bronze Age before potentially moving back towards Central Eurasia.

Conclusions:

• Yersinia pestis was present in Europe during the LNBA, earlier than previously established.
• The spread of Yersinia pestis during this period was likely facilitated by increased human mobility and interconnectedness.
• Pathogen and human population movements were potentially intertwined, influencing the geographic distribution of plague.