Epic of Human Migration Is Carved in Parasites’ DNA

NY Times ^ | March 13, 2007 | NICHOLAS WADE

[neverdem]

A human body is not the individual organism its proud owner may suppose but rather a walking zoo of microbes and parasites, each exploiting a special ecological niche in its comfortable, temperature-controlled conveyance. Some of these fellow travelers live so intimately with their hosts, biologists are finding, that they accompany them not just in space but also in time, passing from generation to generation for thousands of years.

The latest organism to be identified as a longtime member of the human biota club is Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium that causes tooth decay. From samples collected around the world, Dr. Page W. Caufield and colleagues at New York University have found that the bacterium can be assigned by its DNA to several distinct lineages. One is found in Africans, one in Asians and a third in Caucasians (the people of Europe, the Near East and India), his team reported in last month’s Journal of Bacteriology.

The geographical distribution of these lineages reflects the pattern of human migration out of the ancestral homeland in Africa. If the tooth decay bacterium spreads easily from person to person, any geographical pattern would soon be blurred. But Streptococcus mutans is transmitted almost entirely from mother to child, preserving its lineages over thousands of years. The bacteria apparently infect the infant during birth, beginning the work that provides the dentistry profession its livelihood. “We’ve never seen father-to-child transmission,” Dr. Caulfield said. Thanks, Mom.

Another faithful member of the human road show is Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that inhabits half the stomachs in the world. It is a usually well-behaved guest, but gives its hosts ulcers when it acts up. Its pattern of geographic distribution matches that of its host’s migrations, Dr. Mark Achtman of the Max Planck Institute in Berlin and colleagues reported in the journal...

[neverdem]

Josh Cochran

[neverdem]

From a Rapt Audience, a Call to Cool the Hype [Gore Spanked by NYT]

Studies Highlight Cocoa's Remarkable Health Properties

Old Vaccine Hits TB Like A Blast From The Past

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Gee, thanks a lot Mom : )

[Fred Nerks]

If pigs had a religion, it is pretty easy to guess which species they would designate as unclean.

ping

[Fawnn]

“We’ve never seen father-to-child transmission,” Dr. Caulfield said.

My mother didn't have her first cavity until she was in her 60s, despite having 5 kids! I, on the other hand, had cavities in my baby teeth and now have a mouth full of fillings, more similar to how my father's teeth developed -- and then fell apart. More proof that I like to be different, I guess. ;)

[libertylover]

A human body is not the individual organism its proud owner may suppose

That's right, even another human being can live inside it's mother for about 9 months.

[The Truth Will Make You Free]

The bacteria apparently infect the infant during birth

One would then think that C-section babies would never have tooth decay.

[Basheva]

*****My mother didn't have her first cavity until she was in her 60s, despite having 5 kids! I, on the other hand, had cavities in my baby teeth and now have a mouth full of fillings, more similar to how my father's teeth developed -- and then fell apart. More proof that I like to be different, I guess. ;)****

Seems like you got your mother's bacteria and your father's teeth.

And together your dentist is a happy camper - or yachter.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks neverdem. I thought we had a GGG topic about this, but I don't see it. :')

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[BJClinton]

If pigs had a religion, it is pretty easy to guess which species they would designate as unclean.

*snicker*

[SunkenCiv]

Of course, pigs may have one, but we haven't yet cracked the secret pig language.

[SunkenCiv]

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach · · join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
	Antiquity Journal  & archive  Archaeologica  Archaeology  Archaeology Channel  BAR  Bronze Age Forum  Discover  Dogpile  Eurekalert  Google  LiveScience  Mirabilis.ca  Nat Geographic  PhysOrg  Science Daily  Science News  Texas AM  Yahoo  Excerpt, or Link only?	Just updating the GGG info, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword · · Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·