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Ancient Chilean DNA Traces Early Smallpox Arrival After European Contact

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Source: ScienceAlert
Ancient Chilean DNA Traces Early Smallpox Arrival After European Contact
Photo: ScienceAlert
TL;DR

New ancient DNA from two Chilean mummies dating to 1492–1631 CE links the smallpox outbreak in the Americas to European contact, with the CAM9 lineage sitting between medieval European strains and later variants, providing genetic proof of early smallpox arrival in South America.

Topics:healthscience#ancientdna#cam9#chile#colonization#science#smallpox
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  1. 'Clear Evidence': Ancient DNA From Chilean Mummies Reveals Who Brought Smallpox to The Americas  ScienceAlert
  2. ‘This Is Very Strange’: Ancient Smallpox May Have Been Less Deadly  The New York Times
  3. Smallpox DNA in ancient Inca mummies shows virus came from Europe  New Scientist
  4. Ancient mummy DNA provides scientific evidence that colonization brought smallpox to the Americas  AP News
  5. 500-year-old Inca mummies prove that European colonists brought devastating smallpox to the Americas  livescience.com

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