title: Human tuberculosis predates domestication in ancient Syria.
abstract: The question of pre-neolithic tuberculosis is still open in paleopathological perspective. One of the major interests is to explore what type of infection could have existed around the early stage of animal domestication. Paleopathological lesions evoking skeletal TB were observed on five human skeletons coming from two PPNB sites in Syria, which belongs to the geographical cradle of agriculture. These sites represent respectively pre-domestication phase (Dja'de el Mughara, Northern Syria, 8800-8300 BCE cal.) and early domestication phase (Tell Aswad, Southern Syria, 8200-7600 BCE cal.). MicroCT scan analyses were performed on two specimens (one per site) and revealed microscopic changes in favor of TB infection. Detection of lipid biomarkers is positive for two specimens (one per site). Initial molecular analysis further indicates the presence of TB in one individual from Dja'de. Interestingly, no morphological evidence of TB was observed on animal remains of wild and newly domesticated species, discovered in these sites. These observations strongly suggest the presence of human tuberculosis before domestication and at its early stages.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropologie biologique Paul Broca, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Oussama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Oona Y-C
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Houdini H T
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Gurdyal S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Besra
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Minnikin
authors.affiliation: National Mass Spectrometry Service Centre, School of Medicine, Grove Building, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Llewellyn
authors.affiliation: National Mass Spectrometry Service Centre, School of Medicine, Grove Building, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Institute for Mummies and the Iceman, European Academy, Viale Druso, 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maixner
authors.affiliation: Institute for Mummies and the Iceman, European Academy, Viale Druso, 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Niall
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Institute for Mummies and the Iceman, European Academy, Viale Druso, 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zink
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Archéorient (UMR 5133, CNRS, Université de Lyon 2), Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée - Jean Pouilloux, 7 rue Raulin, 69365 Lyon Cedex 7, France.
authors.forename: Bérénice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chamel
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Archéorient (UMR 5133, CNRS, Université de Lyon 2), Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée - Jean Pouilloux, 7 rue Raulin, 69365 Lyon Cedex 7, France.
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khawam
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Archéorient (UMR 5133, CNRS, Université de Lyon 2), Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée - Jean Pouilloux, 7 rue Raulin, 69365 Lyon Cedex 7, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coqueugniot
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Archéorient (UMR 5133, CNRS, Université de Lyon 2), Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée - Jean Pouilloux, 7 rue Raulin, 69365 Lyon Cedex 7, France.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Helmer
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Archéorient (UMR 5133, CNRS, Université de Lyon 2), Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée - Jean Pouilloux, 7 rue Raulin, 69365 Lyon Cedex 7, France.
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Le Mort
authors.affiliation: Université Montpellier 2 - MIVEGEC IRD/UR 224 - CNRS/UMR 5290, MIVEGEC - Centre IRD de Montpellier, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.affiliation: Cultures et Environnements Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge (CEPAM, UMR 7264, CNRS Université Nice Sophia Antipolis), Pôle Universitaire Saint-Jean-d'Angély (SJA3), 24 Avenue des Diables Bleus, 06357 Nice Cedex 4, France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gourichon
authors.affiliation: De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, Anthropologie (PACEA, UMR 5199, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication), Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, CS 50023, 33615 Pessac Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dutailly
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Dugonics Ter, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pálfi
authors.affiliation: De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, Anthropologie (PACEA, UMR 5199, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication), Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, CS 50023, 33615 Pessac Cedex, France; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coqueugniot
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropologie biologique Paul Broca, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris, France; De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, Anthropologie (PACEA, UMR 5199, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication), Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, CS 50023, 33615 Pessac Cedex, France; Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. Electronic address: olivier.dutour@ephe.sorbonne.fr.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dutour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture / Q000266:history; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D060432:Anthropology, Medical; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics; D010164:Paleopathology; D013593:Syria; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000235:genetics / Q000266:history*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008055:Lipids
keywords: Agriculture cradle; Ancient DNA; Domestication; Early neolithic; Lipid biomarkers; PPNB; Paleopathology of TB