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Here we propose a first step toward a direct reconstruction of the evolutionary history of human infectious disease agents by obtaining genome wide data of historic pathogens. Through an extensive screening of skeletal collections from well-characterized catastrophe, or emergency, mass burials we plan to detect and sequence pathogen DNA from various historic pandemics spanning at least 2,500 years ...

The evolutionary success of humans can be attributed to our ability to adapt to ever-changing environments. This reproductive and adaptive success is demonstrated by the 7 billion living humans, occupying nearly every corner of the globe. However, the expansion of humans is an evolutionarily recent development; fossil, genetic and archaeological evidence indicates that humans and our hominin ances ...