Ancient DNA reveals a plague outbreak in Siberia 5,500 years ago—4,000 years before the Justinian Plague
The bacterium Yersinia pestis has caused devastating plagues throughout human history, including the Plague of Justinian, the Black Death, and the Third Plague. For a long time, the prevailing theory was that the development of agriculture, while providing a stable food source, also facilitated the spread of plague by attracting pests that carried the bacteria. … Read more