What's happened
Ancient DNA from Chilean skeletons shows two smallpox infections dating to 1492–1631, linking American cases to European strains and illuminating how the virus spread during colonization. The findings are published in Science and underscore the human cost of the disease across the Americas.
What's behind the headline?
This article synthesizes three major outlets reporting a groundbreaking genetic study. The AP and Independent highlight the connection between American cases and European lineages, while the New York Times adds context on Jenner and the virus’s evolving role as a biological threat. The sources converge on a narrative of colonization as the conduit for smallpox’s spread to the Americas, and on the methods that place two infections in 1492–1631 using ancient DNA.
How we got here
New genetic analyses examine bone samples from Camarones, Chile, recovering evidence of smallpox in 2 individuals aged 18–35. The study situates American smallpox strains between medieval European and later variants, suggesting evolution and translocation during early colonial contact.
Our analysis
AP News: reports the Chilean mummy DNA linking to European strains and dates the infections to 1492–1631. Independent: echoes the linking narrative and notes Science publication. New York Times Business: frames the historical mystery of smallpox evolution and cites genetic traces in ancient remains. All agree on colonization as the vector and on the significance of ancient smallpox genomes in Chile.
Go deeper
- What does this new evidence change about our understanding of how smallpox spread to the Americas?
- How might this influence current discussions about the history of infectious diseases and colonial impact?
- What further research could confirm or refine these lineage estimates?
More on these topics
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Science - Academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Science is the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and one of the world's top academic journals. It was first published in 1880, is currently circulated weekly and has a subscriber base of around 130,000. Because institutional subscriptions and online access serve a larger audience, its estimated readership is over 400,000 people. Science is based in the District of Columbia, United States, with a second office in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom.