@article{c0375da18bfd45e0855d4f971b71d718,
title = "Advances in the molecular detection of tuberculosis in pre-contact Andean South America",
abstract = "Andean paleopathological research has significantly enhanced knowledge about the geographical distribution and evolution of tuberculosis (TB) in pre-Columbian South America. In this paper, we review the history and progress of research on ancient tuberculosis (TB) in the Andean region, focusing on the strengths and limitations of current approaches for the molecular detection of ancient pathogens, with special attention to TB. As a case study, we describe a molecular screening approach for the detection of ancient Mycobacterium tuberculosis in individuals from Late Intermediate Period (1000–1400 CE) contexts at the site of Huari, Peru. We evaluate 34 commingled human vertebrae and combine morphological assessments of pathology with high throughput sequencing and a non-selective approach to ancient pathogen DNA screening. Our method enabled the simultaneous detection of ancient M. tuberculosis DNA and an evaluation of the environmental microbial composition of each sample. Our results show that despite the dominance of environmental DNA, molecular signatures of M. tuberculosis were identified in eight vertebrae, six of which had no observable skeletal pathology classically associated tuberculosis infection. This screening approach will assist in the identification of candidate samples for downstream genomic analyses. The method permits higher resolution disease identification in cases where pathology may be absent, or where the archaeological context may necessitate a broad differential diagnosis based on morphology alone.",
keywords = "Ancient DNA, Andean South America, Huari, Molecular paleopathology, Tuberculosis",
author = "Nelson, {Elizabeth A.} and Buikstra, {Jane E.} and Alexander Herbig and Tung, {Tiffiny A.} and Bos, {Kirsten I.}",
note = "Funding Information: Many thanks to the Ministerio de Cultura in Ayacucho, Peru, and to the Universidad Nacional de San Crist{\'o}bal de Huamanga for approving requests to examine the skeletal collections. Thank you to the many participants of the Ayacucho Bioarchaeology Project who have contributed to the research of these post-Wari communities. We thank the National Science Foundation-Archaeology and Biological Anthropology Divisions (grant # 1420757 ) for financial support of the bioarchaeological aspects of the project. Genetic work was funded by the Max Planck Society and European Research Council Starting Grant CoDisEASe (grant number 805268 to KIB). We thank Dr. Anne Grauer and two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments towards the improvement of this paper. A very special thanks to the organizers and editors of this special volume, Dr. J. Marla Toyne, Dr. Melissa Murphy, and Dr. Haagen Klaus. We would also like to Dr. John Verano for his constant contribution to the field of biological anthropology and for his inspiration leading to this special volume. Appendix A Funding Information: Many thanks to the Ministerio de Cultura in Ayacucho, Peru, and to the Universidad Nacional de San Crist?bal de Huamanga for approving requests to examine the skeletal collections. Thank you to the many participants of the Ayacucho Bioarchaeology Project who have contributed to the research of these post-Wari communities. We thank the National Science Foundation-Archaeology and Biological Anthropology Divisions (grant #1420757) for financial support of the bioarchaeological aspects of the project. Genetic work was funded by the Max Planck Society and European Research Council Starting Grant CoDisEASe (grant number 805268 to KIB). We thank Dr. Anne Grauer and two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments towards the improvement of this paper. A very special thanks to the organizers and editors of this special volume, Dr. J. Marla Toyne, Dr. Melissa Murphy, and Dr. Haagen Klaus. We would also like to Dr. John Verano for his constant contribution to the field of biological anthropology and for his inspiration leading to this special volume. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier Inc.",
year = "2020",
month = jun,
doi = "10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.12.006",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "29",
pages = "128--140",
journal = "International Journal of Paleopathology",
issn = "1879-9817",
publisher = "Elsevier BV",
}