Identification of Ancient Pathogens

This article advances a series of publications dedicated to the paleogenetic study of individuals from the Fatyanovo culture. Whole-genome sequencing of new samples from the Volosovo-Danilovsky burial ground in the Yaroslavl region of European Russia, along with rigorous bioinformatics analysis, has unequivocally demonstrated a significant genetic affinity between these individuals and the Bronze Age populations of the Czech Republic, Germany, and Great Britain, particularly those associated with the Bell Beaker and Pre-Unetice cultures. Moreover, a strong connection has been established with representatives from the Sintashta culture in the Ural region. Notably, for the first time, high-throughput sequencing data of ancient DNA has successfully identified potential ancient DNA of the pulmonary pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae within the Bronze Age population of the Russian Plain of discernible migrant origin. The presence of this microorganism in all four cases, albeit at different levels, is an "incidental finding", which allows us to speak of the need for further studies of samples from both the Volosovo-Danilovsky burial and other Fatyanovo sites, including the assessment of the prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms in the population of the Russian Plain at this time

Ancient DNA · Bronze Age · DNA profiling · DNA sequencing · Population · Streptococcus pneumoniae