Buzz
The genetic code of the natural world chronicles our planet's history. These fragments often survive through catastrophes and the passage of time to reveal their secrets to scientists. In many cases, the revelations DNA offers about the past are so extraordinary that they challenge belief.
Genes are not just transparent messengers bearing good news. Some are remnants of pandemics and human suffering, while others challenge long-held beliefs, ushering us into uncharted enigmas. The origins and influence of DNA can be unsettling when it unveils its darker aspects.
10. Enigmatic Tamed Horses
The origins of the first domesticated horses remain an enigma. The prevailing theory was that, 5,500 years ago in Kazakhstan, a small number of animals were tamed and trained to carry saddles.
The Botai culture, long believed to be the first horse tamers, indeed practiced horsemanship. Ancient Botai sites reveal equine teeth from animals that wore bridles and traces of horse fat from meat and milk. These creatures were once considered the first domesticated herd. However, recent DNA testing of 88 ancient and modern horses has upended two key assumptions.
The first discovery showed that modern horses have too little Botai ancestry to have descended from Kazakhstan. This finding hinted at the existence of an unknown, domesticated ancestral line. For now, scientists are left to speculate on their origin.
The second overturned the belief about Przewalski’s wild horses—once thought to be entirely natural. Instead, DNA results revealed that these horses originated from the already domesticated Botai herds before becoming feral. Surprisingly, the DNA also uncovered that the Botai horses sported striking white coats with spots.
9. A Nation in Exile That Endured
Before the Spanish brought down the mighty Inca, the Inca themselves recounted their conquest of the Chachapoyas people. The Chachapoyas fiercely resisted the Inca when they invaded the region of Peru. Spanish chronicles state that the locals were expelled from their homeland in the 15th century.
However, in 2017, scientists collected DNA samples from the Chachapoyas people and found that the Inca's story was not entirely accurate. Among the individuals tested were living descendants of the Chachapoyas. While the Inca may have conquered them, they did not fully disperse the Chachapoyas population.
The study revealed another surprising detail. The Chachapoyas population remained genetically unique, indicating that they intentionally avoided mingling with either the Inca or Europeans. This genetic research followed a linguist's visit to Chachapoyas, where he discovered a few individuals still spoke Quechua, a language once thought to be extinct in the region.
Quechua, widely spoken by millions, existed long before Columbus’s arrival. The distinct dialect spoken by the Chachapoyas resembled Quechua from Ecuador. Yet, DNA analysis revealed no shared genetic connection that could explain this linguistic similarity.
8. Great-Great-Grandson of Neanderthal
When an ancient human bone was found in Romania, the ancestry of the individual sparked great interest. Known as Oase 1, the jawbone was discovered in 2002 in one of the Pestera cu Oase caves.
The genome extracted from the bone was incomplete, but it revealed an astonishing 10 percent Neanderthal DNA, far higher than the typical 4 percent seen in modern humans. This made Oase 1 an exceptional case.
It is well-established that humans and Neanderthals interbred, but the timeline and extent of this interaction have remained unclear. Oase 1, who lived thousands of years ago, demonstrated that this interspecies mingling began shortly after humans arrived in Europe. This discovery not only surprised researchers but also debunked the theory of a later interbreeding event.
Regardless, the ancient Romanian remains an extraordinary discovery—someone genetically linked to this phenomenon. With such a significant foreign genome, it’s possible that his Neanderthal ancestry could trace back to a great-great-grandparent. Oase 1 is as extinct as any being can be. Neanderthals disappeared as a species 39,000 years ago, and his human lineage has no living relatives.
7. The Culprit Behind Cocoliztli
Between 1545 and 1550, Mexico and Guatemala were gripped by fear. A deadly disease, known later as the cocoliztli epidemic, claimed the lives of many. Some historians looked to the Spaniards, who had recently arrived in Mesoamerica just before the outbreak. The common belief was that Spanish ships brought with them a disease that the locals had no immunity to.
To determine if the intruder was smallpox or measles, scientists recently visited a Mexican cemetery abandoned after the epidemic. In Oaxaca, remains from 29 graves were examined using software, specifically searching for any traces of germ DNA.
To their surprise, the usual culprits were not found. Instead, the deadly Salmonella bacterium was identified in 10 individuals. The genome of the bacterium was reconstructed, revealing it to be the subspecies S. paratyphi C, which causes enteric fever, including typhoid.
Salmonella poisoning spreads through contaminated food and water. Each year, approximately 222,000 deaths related to typhoid are reported worldwide. These 10 ancient individuals are the earliest known evidence of Salmonella in the New World and offer a rare opportunity to study the disease's history.
6. Taino DNA
European explorers are no longer held accountable for the cocoliztli epidemic, but the story is different for the Caribbean. In the 15th century, Christopher Columbus landed his ships, and the indigenous Taino people suffered immensely. Those who weren’t taken as slaves endured devastating first-contact epidemics and mass extermination.
The devastation was so profound that modern historians declared the Taino people extinct. This left out many individuals still living in the Caribbean. They raised their hands and said, 'Hey, we’re living Tainos right here.'
To resolve the issue, DNA from a pre-Columbian islander was needed. In 2018, research confirmed that the Caribbean people weren’t just imagining their heritage. From the Bahamas came the tooth of a woman who had passed away a thousand years ago, making her an ideal candidate. Her undeniable Taino DNA matched that of current populations in the Caribbean, most notably in Puerto Rico.
Beyond proving their survival, the woman’s genes also indicated that the Taino's origins traced back to South America, with their communities remaining linked. This explained the absence of inbreeding, which scientists had anticipated given her small island home.
5. The Minoans’ Ethnicity
A century ago, Sir Arthur Evans ventured to the island of Crete, where the archaeologist discovered the magnificent Minoan palace of Knossos. When Evans observed the Egyptian-inspired art, he hypothesized that Minoan culture had roots in Africa. The theory caught on. While much about the Minoans remains shrouded in mystery, they are credited with founding Europe’s first advanced civilization (2700 BC–1420 BC).
In 2013, researchers re-examined a few Minoan skeletons and extracted their 4,000-year-old DNA. The samples were then compared to those from Africa and Europe, both ancient and modern. The findings, however, disproved Evans’ long-held theory.
The Minoans were not of Egyptian or African origin. They were European. In fact, their closest genetic match was with Stone Age Europeans. The living population most similar to them are the islanders of Crete, particularly those from the Lassithi Plateau, where the skeletons were discovered.
This evidence confirmed that the Minoans were native to Europe. While they had interactions with Africa, this explained the Egyptian influence that appeared in their art.
4. Matriarchs Of Chaco Canyon
In the arid southwest of North America, another enigmatic culture thrived. Between AD 800 and 1130, they constructed impressive dwellings in Chaco Canyon. Though several discoveries have revived interest in this lost civilization, researchers still lack a full understanding of their way of life.
Compounding the mystery, the society was exceptionally complex. Earlier findings revealed that Chaco’s inhabitants had an elite class, but little was known about how individuals ascended to such status.
The largest structure, Pueblo Bonito, contained a tomb with nine individuals who had lived among the upper echelons of society. Their remains accumulated over 330 years (AD 800–1130). In 2017, their genetic material was analyzed in an effort to uncover what made them elite. A revealing connection emerged.
These individuals were related, sharing identical mitochondrial DNA—37 genes inherited exclusively from the mother. The family’s unbroken matrilineal line spanned several generations. This discovery led researchers to conclude that the dynasty ruling Chaco passed down power solely through the female line.
3. The Mind Virus
A 2018 study revealed unsettling news—humans might owe their conscious thought to a virus. While this idea may sound far-fetched, it’s supported by the fact that between 40 to 80 percent of the human genome consists of DNA from ancient viruses.
This viral inheritance is typically harmless and often beneficial. Viral genes are essential for human embryo development and the immune system. However, the real revelation comes from the Arc gene. This viral intruder embedded itself in the brains of four-legged animals long ago. It merged with the host’s genome and continues to play a role in human brains to this day.
When a synapse fires, Arc transmits its genetic information between nerve cells. This process is viral by nature, with the genetic packages it sends resembling viruses themselves. The exact way Arc entered human and animal genomes remains a mystery, as does the fate of its genetic ‘mail’ once it reaches another cell.
Despite its unsettling origins, Arc’s actions are fundamental to nerve communication and adaptation, processes crucial for conscious thought. While it may seem strange to have an ancient virus living in your brain, without it, synapses would weaken, and cognition would suffer. When malfunctioning, the Arc gene has been linked to neurological disorders, including autism.
2. Cheddar Man
Cheddar Man is no myth or cheesy tale. His face is undeniably striking. Discovered in 1903 at Cheddar Gorge, this skeleton belongs to a man who lived and died young, in his twenties. Yet, 10,000 years later, he remains the oldest human remains ever found in Britain.
Given his ancient status, researchers were eager to bring this 'first Briton' to life. In 2018, they reconstructed his skull, and pushed further by analyzing his genetic code to determine his eye and skin color.
Cheddar Man’s DNA unveiled an intriguing contrast. He had blue eyes, framed by a face that was dark brown to black. His hair was also dark with a gentle curl. To modern eyes, his appearance may seem unusual, but in his time, this was a typical look in western Europe.
A landmass once bridged Europe and Britain, and Cheddar Man likely descended from migrants who settled on the island about 11,000 years ago. Over time, this population merged with pale-skinned farmers who are believed to have arrived around 6,000 years ago from the Middle East. Remarkably, when scientists compared his mitochondrial DNA to that of people living in Cheddar village today, they found a match in two residents.
1. Death Of A King
In 2013, a journalist made a chilling discovery at an auction—several bloodstained leaves. Many such grisly artifacts are linked to famous figures, and in this case, they were connected to King Albert I, a passionate mountaineer.
In 1934, the Belgian monarch took a solitary journey up a mountain near the village of Marche-les-Dames. At 58 years old, he set off alone, only for his body to be found at the base of a cliff. King Albert I was beloved by many, and after his death, souvenir hunters descended upon the spot where he perished, leaving the area stripped bare.
In 2016, the journalist who had acquired the bloodstained leaves arranged for them to be tested. DNA samples were provided by two living descendants of King Albert I—German baroness Anna Maria Freifrau von Haxthausen and Simeon II of Bulgaria, a fellow monarch. The results confirmed a match.
While the presence of blood was verified, the exact cause of King Albert's death remains elusive. Speculations about assassination compete with theories of an accident or suicide. Nonetheless, the discovery of blood disproved one persistent conspiracy theory—that the king was killed elsewhere and then moved to the spot where his body was found.
