Specialists from the Max Planck Institute today presented a new unique study devoted to the disclosure of interesting features and the history of the oldest species of bubonic plague caused by infectious bacteria Y. pestis. Researchers discovered a double burial in the Samara region of Russia, sending them 4000 years ago by radioisotope analysis – judging by preliminary information, the presence of Y. pestis was found in the bodies found in the burial place in the genetic code. However, the form of this bubonic plague is incomparably more rare and old, and also differs from that which was in the Middle Ages.
Experts took the DNA of the bodies found on a sample and found a stable presence of a rare and ancient species of bubonic plague in them – after exposing its bacteria to sequential gene sequencing, they found that during their development and conservation, these bacteria acquired a kind of protective barrier against traditional antibodies and could further develop into something much more dangerous and widespread.
This study, among other things, also proves the early theory that the bubonic plague bacteria Y. Pestis began their active development in the Bronze Age of human history. Thus, the wide potential of transfer and transmission only increased, which is well reflected in the perfectly preserved DNA remains in burials. It is worth noting that this found burial in Samara belongs to the so-called Srubnaya culture dating back to about 2200-2000 BC.
It is worth noting that at the moment, experts are actively struggling with the mystery about what exactly contributed to the change in this genetic code of the infectious bacterium of bubonic plague – since some very interesting chemical agents were found in the DNA of the bodies themselves. In any case, now the attention of experts is focusing on finding out all the stages and features of the evolution of this most ancient version of the bubonic plague.