Landmark DNA Study Maps 37,000 Years of Zoonotic Disease Emergence
EURASIA, JUL 09 – The study recovered DNA from 214 pathogens and traced ancient zoonotic diseases back 6,500 years, offering insights important for vaccine development and disease mutation understanding.
- On July 11, 2025, Eske Willerslev and his team announced the identification of genetic material from 214 different ancient diseases found in prehistoric human remains across Eurasia.
- Research indicates that zoonotic diseases began to emerge around 6,500 years in the past, coinciding with the rise of agriculture and the domestication of animals.
- The study examined genetic material from more than 1,300 ancient human remains, some dating back 37,000 years, and identified a surge in animal-to-human disease transmission occurring around 5,000 years ago.
- The research published in Nature revealed the presence of the oldest known evidence—dating back 5,500 years—of the bacterium responsible for plague, Yersinia pestis, and highlighted that zoonotic diseases currently represent over 60% of all newly emerging infectious illnesses.
- The research highlights how agriculture reshaped human health and suggests this knowledge is crucial for developing and testing future vaccines against evolving pathogens.
16 Articles
16 Articles
The first pandemic? Scientists find 214 ancient pathogens in prehistoric DNA
Scientists have uncovered DNA from 214 ancient pathogens in prehistoric humans, including the oldest known evidence of plague. The findings show zoonotic diseases began spreading around 6,500 years ago, likely triggered by farming and animal domestication. These ancient infections may still influence us today, and help guide the vaccines of tomorrow.
A new study has found the earliest examples of diseases transmitted from animals to humans. This knowledge could have implications for the development of vaccines in the future.
Largest study of ancient DNA traces infectious diseases through history
A research team led by Eske Willerslev, professor at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Cambridge, has recovered ancient DNA from 214 known human pathogens in prehistoric humans from Eurasia.
The spatiotemporal distribution of human pathogens in ancient Eurasia
Infectious diseases have had devastating effects on human populations throughout history, but important questions about their origins and past dynamics remain1. To create an archaeogenetic-based spatiotemporal map of human pathogens, we screened shotgun-sequencing data from 1,313 ancient humans covering 37,000 years of Eurasian history. We demonstrate the widespread presence of ancient bacterial, viral and parasite DNA, identifying 5,486 individ…
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