Ancient DNA from latrines in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC–1700 AD) reveals past parasites and diet

Martin Jensen Søe; Peter Nejsum; Frederik Valeur Seersholm; Brian Lund Fredensborg; Ruben Habraken; Kirstine Haase; Mette Marie Hald; Rikke Simonsen; Flemming Højlund; Louise Blanke; Inga Merkyte; Eske Willerslev; Christian Kapel

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0195481

Ancient DNA from latrines in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC–1700 AD) reveals past parasites and diet

Martin Jensen Søe, Peter Nejsum, Frederik Valeur Seersholm, Brian Lund Fredensborg, Ruben Habraken, Kirstine Haase, Mette Marie Hald, Rikke Simonsen, Flemming Højlund, Louise Blanke, Inga Merkyte, Eske Willerslev, Christian Kapel

26 Citations (Scopus)

97 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

High-resolution insight into parasitic infections and diet of past populations in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC- 1700 AD) was obtained by pre-concentration of parasite eggs from ancient latrines and deposits followed by shotgun sequencing of DNA. Complementary profiling of parasite, vertebrate and plant DNA proved highly informative in the study of ancient health, human-animal interactions as well as animal and plant dietary components. Most prominent were finding of soil-borne parasites transmitted directly between humans, but also meat-borne parasites that require consumption of raw or undercooked fish and pork. The detection of parasites for which sheep, horse, dog, pig, and rodents serves as definitive hosts are clear markers of domestic and synanthropic animals living in closer proximity of the respective sites. Finally, the reconstruction of full mitochondrial parasite genomes from whipworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) and roundworm species (Trichuris trichiura and Trichuris muris) and estimates of haplotype frequencies elucidates the genetic diversity and provides insights into epidemiology and parasite biology.

Original language	English
Article number	e0195481
Journal	PLOS ONE
Volume	13
Issue number	4
Number of pages	17
ISSN	1932-6203
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195481
Publication status	Published - Apr 2018

Access to Document

10.1371/journal.pone.0195481Licence: CC BY

Ancient DNA from latrines in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC–1700 AD) reveals past parasites and dietFinal published version, 5.99 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Søe, M. J., Nejsum, P., Seersholm, F. V., Fredensborg, B. L., Habraken, R., Haase, K., Hald, M. M., Simonsen, R., Højlund, F., Blanke, L., Merkyte, I., Willerslev, E., & Kapel, C. (2018). Ancient DNA from latrines in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC–1700 AD) reveals past parasites and diet. PLOS ONE, 13(4), Article e0195481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195481

@article{d5e10b453f72423b93aae4a472d4744c,

title = "Ancient DNA from latrines in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC–1700 AD) reveals past parasites and diet",

abstract = "High-resolution insight into parasitic infections and diet of past populations in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC- 1700 AD) was obtained by pre-concentration of parasite eggs from ancient latrines and deposits followed by shotgun sequencing of DNA. Complementary profiling of parasite, vertebrate and plant DNA proved highly informative in the study of ancient health, human-animal interactions as well as animal and plant dietary components. Most prominent were finding of soil-borne parasites transmitted directly between humans, but also meat-borne parasites that require consumption of raw or undercooked fish and pork. The detection of parasites for which sheep, horse, dog, pig, and rodents serves as definitive hosts are clear markers of domestic and synanthropic animals living in closer proximity of the respective sites. Finally, the reconstruction of full mitochondrial parasite genomes from whipworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) and roundworm species (Trichuris trichiura and Trichuris muris) and estimates of haplotype frequencies elucidates the genetic diversity and provides insights into epidemiology and parasite biology.",

author = "S{\o}e, {Martin Jensen} and Peter Nejsum and Seersholm, {Frederik Valeur} and Fredensborg, {Brian Lund} and Ruben Habraken and Kirstine Haase and Hald, {Mette Marie} and Rikke Simonsen and Flemming H{\o}jlund and Louise Blanke and Inga Merkyte and Eske Willerslev and Christian Kapel",

year = "2018",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1371/journal.pone.0195481",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

journal = "PLOS ONE",

issn = "1932-6203",

publisher = "Public Library of Science",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ancient DNA from latrines in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC–1700 AD) reveals past parasites and diet

AU - Søe, Martin Jensen

AU - Nejsum, Peter

AU - Seersholm, Frederik Valeur

AU - Fredensborg, Brian Lund

AU - Habraken, Ruben

AU - Haase, Kirstine

AU - Hald, Mette Marie

AU - Simonsen, Rikke

AU - Højlund, Flemming

AU - Blanke, Louise

AU - Merkyte, Inga

AU - Willerslev, Eske

AU - Kapel, Christian

PY - 2018/4

Y1 - 2018/4

N2 - High-resolution insight into parasitic infections and diet of past populations in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC- 1700 AD) was obtained by pre-concentration of parasite eggs from ancient latrines and deposits followed by shotgun sequencing of DNA. Complementary profiling of parasite, vertebrate and plant DNA proved highly informative in the study of ancient health, human-animal interactions as well as animal and plant dietary components. Most prominent were finding of soil-borne parasites transmitted directly between humans, but also meat-borne parasites that require consumption of raw or undercooked fish and pork. The detection of parasites for which sheep, horse, dog, pig, and rodents serves as definitive hosts are clear markers of domestic and synanthropic animals living in closer proximity of the respective sites. Finally, the reconstruction of full mitochondrial parasite genomes from whipworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) and roundworm species (Trichuris trichiura and Trichuris muris) and estimates of haplotype frequencies elucidates the genetic diversity and provides insights into epidemiology and parasite biology.

AB - High-resolution insight into parasitic infections and diet of past populations in Northern Europe and the Middle East (500 BC- 1700 AD) was obtained by pre-concentration of parasite eggs from ancient latrines and deposits followed by shotgun sequencing of DNA. Complementary profiling of parasite, vertebrate and plant DNA proved highly informative in the study of ancient health, human-animal interactions as well as animal and plant dietary components. Most prominent were finding of soil-borne parasites transmitted directly between humans, but also meat-borne parasites that require consumption of raw or undercooked fish and pork. The detection of parasites for which sheep, horse, dog, pig, and rodents serves as definitive hosts are clear markers of domestic and synanthropic animals living in closer proximity of the respective sites. Finally, the reconstruction of full mitochondrial parasite genomes from whipworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) and roundworm species (Trichuris trichiura and Trichuris muris) and estimates of haplotype frequencies elucidates the genetic diversity and provides insights into epidemiology and parasite biology.

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0195481

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0195481

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29694397

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 13

JO - PLOS ONE

JF - PLOS ONE

IS - 4

M1 - e0195481

ER -