Searching for an ancient syphilis DNA in newborns
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 - 09:31
in Paleontology & Archaeology
The ancient bones of newborns are very useful to recover the ancient DNA of the bacteria causing syphilis, the Treponema pallidum pallidum. Scientists were able to obtain the genetic material from the bacteria in more than one individual, in what is considered to be the oldest case known to date. Several previous attempts had only achieved to yield this material in one occasion and from only one individual.