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Ancient Smallpox Genomes Found in Chile | Science News
Scientists unearthed the first ancient smallpox genomes in the Americas, found in naturally mummified Indigenous remains from northern Chile, dating between 1492 and 1631. These nearly identical genomes reveal a single outbreak and offer rare molecular proof of how European colonization spread smallpox to native populations. The discovery also uncovers a previously unknown branch in smallpox’s evolutionary tree, showing a period of slower viral adaptation coinciding with colonial expansion — suggesting the virus was already well-suited to humans. Made by accident during a population history…
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