Ancient Smallpox Genomes Confirm European Introduction to the Americas
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have recovered and analyzed the first ancient smallpox virus genomes identified in the Americas. The study, published in Science, provides direct genetic evidence that smallpox was introduced to the Americas through European colonization. The viral DNA, recovered from individuals buried in northern Chile, belongs to a now-extinct lineage of variola virus, linking it to strains from medieval Europe. This discovery confirms historical accounts of smallpox's devastating impact on Indigenous populations following European contact. 
