Scientists Extract Complete Human Genome From 5,700-Year-Old "Chewing Gum" – Here's What They Found

Scitech Daily ^ | December 18, 2019 | University of Copenhagen

[SunkenCiv]

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have succeeded in extracting a complete human genome from a thousands-of-years-old "chewing gum". According to the researchers, it is a new untapped source of ancient DNA.

During excavations on Lolland, archaeologists have found a 5,700-year-old type of "chewing gum" made from birch pitch. In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen succeeded in extracting a complete ancient human genome from the pitch.

It is the first time that an entire ancient human genome has been extracted from anything other than human bones. The new research results were published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on December 17, 2019...Based on the ancient human genome, the researchers could tell that the birch pitch was chewed by a female. She was genetically more closely related to hunter-gatherers from the mainland Europe than to those who lived in central Scandinavia at the time. They also found that she probably had dark skin, dark hair, and blue eyes...

The researchers also found DNA that could be assigned to Epstein-Barr Virus, which is known to cause infectious mononucleosis or glandular fever. According to Hannes Schroeder, ancient "chewing gums bear great potential in researching the composition of our ancestral microbiome and the evolution of important human pathogens."

[SunkenCiv]

• What Chewed-Up Gum Reveals About Life in the Stone Age [DNA] [12/19/2018]
• Ancient chewing gum reveals Scandinavia's oldest human DNA [05/16/2019]

[SunkenCiv]

[know.your.why]

Enquiring minds want to know.

[Yardstick]

They also found that she probably had dark skin, dark hair, and blue eyes...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quite an intriguing combo...

[Secret Agent Man]

[TigersEye]

She was genetically more closely related to hunter-gatherers from the mainland Europe than to those who lived in central Scandinavia at the time. They also found that she probably had dark skin, dark hair, and blue eyes...

She sounds hot!

[Ezekiel]

“Enquiring minds want to know.”

Lonnie Donegan -

Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavour [on the bedpost overnight]?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6bFTVi0hHs

[Az Joe]

She kept her mouth in shape with all that chewing...I bet she was popular.

[Robwin]

the researchers could tell that the birch pitch was chewed by a female

Back then they could apparently tell the difference.

Btw, has anyone asked Ketanji Brown Jackson what her thoughts are on this claim?

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Determined their chewing gum sucked wind as bad as ours today.

Bazooka, it died with bazooka.

[TheGeezer]

I can hear her popping that gum as she calls out to the prehistoric dreamboat nearby to plant a big wet kiss on him and start a new case of mononucleosis in the neighborhood.

[null and void]

Darn you!

[logi_cal869]

Agreed.

[griffin]

Which is why she had mono.

[Farmerbob]

I have been spitting my gum into the storm drain at work nearly every day, coming and going, for years. There has to be several thousand pieces down there. I wonder what future anthropologist will make of it. When I retire I’m tempted to toss in something like a naked Barbie holding a machete so they can debate whether it’s a fertility, harvest, or war shrine.

[Hot Tabasco]

They could have saved time by checking the soles of their moccasins....

[AdmSmith]

That was from 2019, in 2024 this article was published “Population genomics of post-glacial western Eurasia”

Fig. 6: Genetic relatedness across western Eurasia.

Maps showing networks of highest IBD sharing (top 10 highest sharing per individual) during different time periods for 579 imputed genomes predating 3,000 cal. bp (calibrated years before present) and located in the geographical region shown. Shading and thickness of lines are scaled to represent the amount of IBD shared between two individuals. In the earliest periods, sharing networks exhibit strong links within relatively narrow geographical regions, representing predominantly close genetic ties between small HG communities, and rarely crossing the East–West divide extending from the Baltic to the Black Sea. From around 9,000 cal. bp onwards, a more extensive network with weaker individual ties appears in the south, linking Anatolia to the rest of Europe, as early Neolithic farmer communities spread across the continent. The period 7,000–5,000 cal. bp shows more connected subnetworks of western European and eastern/northern European Neolithic farmers, while locally connected networks of HG communities prevail on the eastern side of the divide. From c. 5,000 bp onwards the divide finally collapses, and continental-wide genetic relatedness unifies large parts of western Eurasia.

IBD https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_by_descent

it is open access https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06865-0

[bgill]

Exactly as I immediately expected. Standing all skanky on the path, chewing with her mouth open when a customer picks her up for a quickie behind a tree. Said customer then takes mono back to the wife.