Smallpox DNA is recovered from Spanish conquest-era Chilean mummies
Genetic analysis linked the mummies’ virus to an extinct lineage between medieval European strains and later variants, strengthening evidence that colonizers brought smallpox to the Americas.
- Researchers at Trinity College Dublin identified the oldest viral smallpox DNA in the Americas from two Chilean mummies, providing the first direct molecular evidence of the pathogen in the region.
- Smallpox decimated Indigenous populations after European colonizers arrived in the Americas during the late 15th century, with the mummies dated to between 1492 and 1631.
- Molecular analysis indicates the strains existed in a now-extinct variola virus lineage bridging Old World European variants and later types, with genetic deceleration during colonial expansion.
- This discovery provides the first molecular confirmation that smallpox was carried to the Americas during the colonial period, proving Europe directly introduced the virus to Indigenous populations.
- Evidence helps clarify how the virus reached remote regions, as written records for Chile begin significantly later than the colonial era, filling a critical historical gap.
98 Articles
98 Articles
Smallpox Virus Detected in Inca Remains Came from Europe - Archaeology Magazine
DUBLIN, IRELAND—According to a Live Science report, the earliest known smallpox genomes found in the Americas have been recovered from the bones of two mummified Inca individuals recovered in northern Chile, which have been dated to between 1492 and 1631. The disease, which is caused by the variola virus, was first documented in the Americas in 1518, during the Spanish conquest of the Caribbean. “I don’t think there was any historical record doc…
Millions of indigenous people died in America during the colonial period as a result of introduced diseases. Researchers have now confirmed by genetic analysis: smallpox also came from Europe.
A study published in Science recovered the oldest smallpox genomes found in America and provided the strongest evidence so far that the disease reached the continent during European colonization.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
