Identification of microbial pathogens in Neolithic Scandinavian humans

Area of Science:

• Paleomicrobiology
• Ancient DNA Analysis
• Archaeogenetics

Background:

• The Neolithic Revolution marked a significant shift in human lifestyle from hunting and gathering to agriculture.
• This transition influenced subsistence, culture, and population dynamics, evidenced by archaeological, zooarchaeological, stable isotope, and ancient DNA data.
• The impact of this lifestyle shift on the human microbiome remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of the Neolithic transition on the microbiome composition of Scandinavian Stone Age populations.
• To analyze metagenomic data from Mesolithic and Neolithic hunter-gatherers and Neolithic farmers.
• To identify specific bacterial species associated with different cultural and subsistence contexts.

Main Methods:

• Metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples from 25 Mesolithic and Neolithic hunter-gatherers and 13 Neolithic farmers.
• Bioinformatic analysis to identify microbial communities and specific bacterial taxa.
• Comparison of microbiome profiles between hunter-gatherer and farmer groups from various Scandinavian Stone Age contexts.

Main Results:

• Salmonella enterica was detected in two Neolithic samples from the Battle Axe culture, potentially indicating disease.
• Various species of the bacterial genus Yersinia were identified in Neolithic individuals from Funnel Beaker and later Neolithic contexts.
• The presence of certain bacteria suggests potential pathogen transmission facilitated by increased population density in agricultural settings.

Conclusions:

• The Neolithic transition in Scandinavia was associated with detectable changes in the ancient human microbiome.
• The findings indicate the presence of specific bacterial pathogens like Salmonella enterica and Yersinia species in Neolithic populations.
• Increased population density in agricultural communities may have facilitated the transmission of enteric pathogens.