Syphilis originated in the Americas and spread to Europe through colonialism, ancient DNA reveals

By Free Republic | Created at 2025-01-08 20:07:42 | Updated at 2025-01-09 10:03:31 14 hours ago
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Syphilis originated in the Americas and spread to Europe through colonialism, ancient DNA reveals
Archaeology News ^ | December 22, 2024 | Dario Radley

Posted on 01/08/2025 11:52:55 AM PST by SunkenCiv

The new study, led by Kirsten Bos and Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, analyzed ancient DNA from skeletal remains in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Chile. Using state-of-the-art paleopathology techniques, the researchers reconstructed five genomes of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium responsible for syphilis and its related diseases, yaws and bejel. These genomes date back as far as 9,000 years, predating Columbus's voyages.

"We've known for some time that syphilis-like infections occurred in the Americas for millennia, but from the lesions alone, it's impossible to fully characterize the disease," explained Casey Kirkpatrick, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute. The genomic analysis revealed that T. pallidum originated in the Americas during the middle Holocene epoch and subsequently diversified into the subspecies responsible for treponemal diseases today.

Dr. Kirsten Bos stated: "The data clearly support a root in the Americas for syphilis and its known relatives. Their introduction to Europe, which started in the late 15th century, is most consistent with the evidence." The study further suggests that the global spread of syphilis was facilitated by transatlantic human trafficking and European colonial expansions.


(Excerpt) Read more at archaeologymag.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: bejel; donothitit; fafo; godsgravesglyphs; syphilis; thefrenchdisease; treponemaldisease; yaws
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1 posted on 01/08/2025 11:52:55 AM PST by SunkenCiv


Most of the rest of three STI keywords, sorted:


2 posted on 01/08/2025 11:54:06 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)


To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

Columbus got his three ships, crossed the Atlantic, then got the ball rolling (so to speak) by announcing shore leave. ;^)

3 posted on 01/08/2025 11:55:13 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)


To: SunkenCiv

I read this in the book “EUROPE”. The first case of syphilis was in 1493, and it was a horrible disfiguring disease that always killed. Native Americans are not immune to it, but it only has a mild effect on them.



To: SunkenCiv

There were DemocRATs in the New World back then? Whod’a thought?


5 posted on 01/08/2025 11:55:54 AM PST by Da Coyote


To: SunkenCiv

6 posted on 01/08/2025 11:56:29 AM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)


To: SunkenCiv

7 posted on 01/08/2025 11:57:05 AM PST by NativeSon ( *> <*)


To: SunkenCiv

“researchers” in search of grant $$$.


8 posted on 01/08/2025 12:02:04 PM PST by subterfuge (I'm a pure-blood!)


To: chajin

Thanks for the link. It shows that the "evidence" all points to the documentary.

These “findings” then entered the world of peer-reviewed literature through citations of the documentary itself or material associated with the documentary. Here, we demonstrate that the case for pre-Columbian syphilis in Europe that was made in the documentary does not withstand scientific scrutiny. We also situate this example from paleopathology within a larger trend of “science by documentary” or “science by press conference,” in which researchers seek to bypass the peer review process by presenting unvetted findings directly to the public.

9 posted on 01/08/2025 12:02:17 PM PST by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)


To: Telepathic Intruder

what’s wowrse, small pox blankets or syphyllous?


10 posted on 01/08/2025 12:06:54 PM PST by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world or something )

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