The origin of Yersinia pestis and the early stages of its evolution are fundamental subjects of
investigation given its high virulence and mortality that resulted from past pandemics …

Summary Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) remains among the most influential and
popular classical music composers. Health problems significantly impacted his career as a …

The first historically documented pandemic caused by Yersinia pestis began as the
Justinianic Plague in 541 within the Roman Empire and continued as the so-called First …

The Archaeology of Human Bones provides an up to date account of the analysis of human
skeletal remains from archaeological sites, introducing students to the anatomy of bones …

The second plague pandemic, caused by Yersinia pestis, devastated Europe and the
nearby regions between the 14th and 18th centuries AD. Here we analyse human remains …

Anticipating and addressing the social implications of scientific work is a fundamental
responsibility of all scientists. However, expectations for ethically sound practices can evolve …

Studying ancient DNA allows us to retrace the evolutionary history of human pathogens,
such as Mycobacterium leprae, the main causative agent of leprosy. Leprosy is one of the …

It has been hypothesized that the Neolithic transition towards an agricultural and pastoralist
economy facilitated the emergence of human-adapted pathogens. Here, we recovered eight …

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most widespread human pathogens known today,
yet its origin and evolutionary history are still unclear and controversial. Here, we report the …