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Smallpox Shapes Colonization, Hidden Bourbon Virus Threat Emerges, GLP-1 Therapies Boost Cardiometabolic Health, ZI MA4 1 Trials Begin, and more...

Science News Daily

Good morning. It's July 31st, and this is your Daily Brief in Science. Here's everything you need to know. Two ancient Chilean mummies are at the center of a new science study that ties smallpox to European colonization, using DNA from the remains to map how the virus spread across indigenous networks and long distances.

The researchers argue that several entry points likely occurred, including multiple introductions by European settlers and a possible role for the African slave trade, leading to broad geographic transmission. The findings suggest the disease caused social disruption that helped pave the way for conquest as it moved through indigenous populations during intensified colonization.

Published in Science, the study states that biological records from ancient specimens can illuminate historical events and the human costs of disease. It also notes that understanding how pathogens evolve can aid public health planning for future outbreaks, including vaccination strategies and tracing spread. A co-author emphasizes that the biology of smallpox is intertwined with historical events and population dynamics, reinforcing how biology and history intersect.

The research complements historical records and shows how pathogen evolution, colonization, and vaccination shaped the trajectory of smallpox, up to eradication after vaccination campaigns. Genomic data point to a long evolution before the 16th century, a pause during major colonization, and a resumption after 1796 with the vaccine era.

Historians and scientists alike say epidemics influenced colonization and indigenous susceptibility, potentially altering portions of American history. The study traces how smallpox evolved and spread, including genetic changes that affected transmissibility and lethality over time, with two victims' genomes showing nearly identical strains from the same outbreak, and a slowdown in evolution during colonial epidemics before a later acceleration linked to vaccination.

Smallpox Shapes Colonization, Hidden Bourbon Virus Threat Emerges, GLP-1 Therapies Boost Cardiometabolic Health, ZI MA4 1 Trials Begin, and more...

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The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Smallpox Shapes Colonization, Hidden Bourbon Virus Threat Emerges, GLP-1 Therapies Boost Cardiometabolic Health, ZI MA4 1 Trials Begin, and more...

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.