Prehistoric Plague Could Have Caused a Population Collapse in Stone Age Europe
Research into 5,500-year-old skeletons in Siberia has revealed the oldest known outbreak of the bubonic plague in history.
📍 Aftermath
Study findings revealed the existence of the bubonic plague in 5,500-year-old skeletons unearthed in Siberia. Researchers decoded plague DNA from Bronze Age teeth to trace the spread of the disease across Eurasia.
This prehistoric plague could have caused a population collapse in Stone Age Europe.
Epilogue added 43d ago, after coverage quieted.
The story so far
The bubonic plague has been identified in skeletons dating back 5,500 years in Siberia. This discovery suggests the disease existed far earlier than previously known, potentially contributing to a population collapse in Stone Age Europe.
Coverage from ZME Science, All That's Interesting, and صوت الإمارات focuses on the age of the specimens and the prehistoric nature of the outbreak. The Times of India notes that scientists previously decoded plague DNA from Bronze Age teeth in 2018 to track the disease's spread across Eurasia.
Future analysis may further explore the link between these early outbreaks and the stability of hunter-gatherer populations, as suggested by The Spectator.
Synthesized by Newsylist from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 46d ago.
Sources (5)
- Oldest Plague Outbreak in History: Study Reveals Existence of Disease in Siberia 5,500 Years Ago صوت الإمارات · 46d ago
- History’s First Known Cases Of The Bubonic Plague Were Just Found In 5,500-Year-Old Skeletons Unearthed In Siberia All That's Interesting · 46d ago
- In 2018, scientists decoded plague DNA from Bronze Age teeth to trace its spread across Eurasia The Times of India · 46d ago
- It turns out being a hunter-gatherer wasn’t so great after all The Spectator · 46d ago
- Prehistoric Plague Could Have Caused a Population Collapse in Stone Age Europe ZME Science · 46d ago broke it first
The obvious questions
Where were the oldest plague cases found?
The cases were found in 5,500-year-old skeletons unearthed in Siberia.
What happened in 2018 regarding this research?
Scientists decoded plague DNA from Bronze Age teeth to trace how the disease spread across Eurasia.
What was the potential impact of this plague in Europe?
According to ZME Science, the prehistoric plague could have caused a population collapse in Stone Age Europe.
How fast it spread
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