- Neanderthals might have been susceptible to the same viruses responsible for contemporary colds, cold sores, and certain types of cancer.
-
It’s possible ancient
humans introduced
These unknown viruses compared to their kin. - Gaining insight into these ancient viruses could illuminate the disappearance of Neanderthals as well as contemporary illnesses.
Neanderthals might have been affected by certain conditions.
very familiar diseases
50,000 years ago, potentially leading to their decline.
Researchers studying
ancient Neanderthal DNA
discovered evidence of three viruses responsible for common colds, cold sores, genital warts, and cancer.
Ancient humans could be responsible for initially disseminating these pests, as suggested by researchers whose findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal “صند
Viruses
.”
The majority of Neanderthal specialists believe the
species went extinct
Due to multiple factors, including shifting climates, reduced fertility rates, and human activities. Attempting to overcome diseases—particularly new ones brought by far-off relatives—probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
Subpar health due to “such infections might adversely affect you when you are competing.”
another species
Marcelo Briones, one of the scientists involved in discovering the viruses, communicated this information to Business Insider through an emailed statement.
These ancient viruses not only have the potential to enhance our comprehension of
Neanderthals’ extinction
, but they could provide insights into the contemporary strains that continue to affect people today.
Bones from Siberia containing ancient viruses
Approximately 54,000 years ago, a tiny
community
Neanderthals inhabited Chagyrskaya Cave in Southern Siberia.
Briones and his team examined the sequenced DNA data of two Neanderthals from the cave—a mature male and a young boy—to search for signs of three viruses they believed may have played a role in the species’ demise: adenovirus, herpesvirus, and papillomavirus.
The
adenovirus can cause
respiratory infections like colds or flu, while herpesviruses can cause cold sores or genital warts, depending on the type. Some cancers, like cervical cancer, are linked to the papillomavirus.
This isn’t the first occasion where researchers have discovered inert (no longer infectious) materials.
ancient human viruses
. A 2021
study
recorded the finding of adenovirus in ancient human teeth dating back to 31,600 years ago from Siberia.
The adenoviruses, herpesviruses, and papillomaviruses identified in this latest research are approximately 50,000 years old, as stated by the scientists — making them about 20,000 years older than those discovered in the Siberian tooth samples.
That’s approximately when certain experts
estimate
Humans and Neanderthals interbred approximately between 60,000 and 50,000 years ago. Besides exchanging genetic material, humans and Neanderthals likely also
passed around
diseases.
It remains uncertain whether new viruses would have produced identical effects in Neanderthals as they do in modern humans today. Although these infections probably triggered an immune reaction, determining the severity of the subsequent diseases is challenging, according to Briones.
One 2016 study
suggested
Interbreeding with Neanderthals might have enhanced human resistance to unfamiliar illnesses. Nonetheless, the Neanderthals could have faced more adverse consequences.
“Even without being life-threatening, a common cold can reduce hunting effectiveness or reproductive capabilities,” Briones explained. Given their already limited numbers, contracting unfamiliar diseases could have played a role in the Neanderthals’ disappearance.
roughly
40,000 years ago.
The challenge of working with ancient DNA
Gaining insights into the evolution of these age-old illnesses over tens of thousands of years might help us understand their impact on contemporary human beings.
Certain viruses remain in your system indefinitely. These can significantly affect human well-being due to their persistent nature over time,” stated Sasha Tabachnikova, a PhD student researching herpesviruses at the Yale School of Medicine. New studies have shown this recently.
linked
Epstein-Barr, which belongs to the family of herpesviruses,
with multiple sclerosis
, for example.
Tabachnikova, despite not being part of the study, is enthusiastic about exploring how an ancient virus may have developed from the time of the Neanderthals onward. However, such research is probably still quite distant.
Ancient DNA is
tricky
To work with, it deteriorates and snaps into pieces.
fragments
The greater the length of a DNA sequence, the simpler it becomes to recognize.
As Assistant Professor of Genetics at Yale, Diyendo Massilani noted, ‘When sequences are too brief, they appear ubiquitously across various genome types,’ which may result in misunderstandings within the data.
Sally Wasef, a paleogenetics researcher from Queensland University of Technology, notes that since viruses possess shorter DNA sequences compared to humans, techniques employed for studying ancient human DNA may be ineffective when applied to viruses.
told New Scientist
.
Massilani also had some concerns with how the researchers were interpreting the ancient DNA. “They probably have a good idea,” he said, but they need to adjust some of their methods to strengthen their results.
Briones stated that he and his team intend to conduct further studies to validate their conclusions.
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