Paleomicrobiology of Humans (eBook)

Contributors vii

Introduction xi

Acknowledgments xiii

1 Demographic Patterns Distinctive of Epidemic Cemeteries in Archaeological Samples 1
Dominique Castex and Sacha Kacki

2 Characterization of the Funeral Groups Associated with Plague Epidemics 13
Stéfan Tzortzis and Michel Signoli

3 Paleogenetics and Past Infections: the Two Faces of the Coin of Human Immune Evolution 21
Laurent Abi-Rached and Didier Raoult

4 A Personal View of How Paleomicrobiology Aids Our Understanding of the Role of Lice in Plague Pandemics 29
Didier Raoult

5 Sources of materials for Paleomicrobiology 39
Gérard Aboudharam

6 Paleomicrobiology Data: Authentification and Interpretation 51
Michel Drancourt

7 Human Coprolites as a Source for Paleomicrobiology 59
Sandra Appelt, Michel Drancourt, and Matthieu Le Bailly

8 Ancient Resistome 75
Abiola Olumuyiwa Olaitain and Jean-Marc Rolain

9 The History of Epidemic Typhus 81
Emmanouil Angelakis, Yassina Bechah, and Didier Raoult

10 Paleopathology of Human Infections: Old Bones, Antique Books, Ancient and Modern Molecules 93
Olivier Dutour

11 Past Bartonelloses 107
Pierre-Edouard Fournier

12 Paleomicrobiology Of Human Tuberculosis 113
Helen Donoghue

13 Paleomicrobiology of Leprosy 131
Mark Spigelman and Mauro Rubini

14 Past Intestinal Parasites 143
Matthieu Le Bailly and Adauto Araújo

15 Paleopathology and Paleomicrobiology of Malaria 155
Andreas Nerlich

16 History of Smallpox and Its Spread in Human Populations 161
Catherine Thèves, Eric Crubézy, and Philippe Biagini

17 Cholera 173
Donatella Lippi, Eduardo Gotuzzo, and Saverio Caini

18 Human Lice in Paleoentomology and Paleomicrobiology 181
Rezak Drali, Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu, and Didier Raoult

Index 191

This volume edited by Drancourt and Raoult,
two of the biggest names in paleomicrobiology, is both educational and
informative for researchers in the field. This compendium of articles spans
subjects from the demography of epidemics to the more pointed analyses of
specific pathogens (e.g., tuberculosis, malaria). In a book format (which
always take a long time from conception to printing), most of the articles are
already somewhat behind the curve of technological advances. But this does not
detract from the usefulness of the information presented. Certainly, we find
the biggest names in paleoarcheology and paleomicrobiology, such as the editors
themselves, as well as Nerlich, Donoghue, and Aboudharam, among others. It is
clear that the intention for this volume was to be an update of what has been
done in paleomicrobiology. And, in that mission, it certainly succeeds. From
the research articles, we clearly have get a good panorama of how far research
on specific pathogens or "-omics" techniques for use on archeological samples
has come. For example, the article on ancient resistome (Olaitain and Rolain)
is an exciting new look at the potential of uncovering the evolutionary history
of antibiotic resistance from historical samples. From the wider subject
articles, we have an impressive array of methodologies and new guidelines to
handle historical samples (and their data) in the field and in the laboratory.
The chapter by Aboudharam is a thoughtful and detailed review of the types of
samples with potential use for paleomicrobiology research, and also offers a
small but important section on the ethical and legal framework in sample
collection. Drancourt's article should figure prominently in all
paleomicrobiology (and indeed field archeology) textbooks, as it offers an
excellent and useful synthesis on data authentication and interpretation, which
often plagues (pun intended) historical samples.

We also have insightful essays, such as
Abi-Rached and Raoult's Paleogenetics and Past Infections, presenting a roadmap
of possibilities for connecting data that is often kept in their own respective
field. It also offers a map of our current knowledge of the impact of archaic
humans on the genomes of modern populations, showing us one glaring crucial
area for which no data is available, and yet is fundamental for our
understanding of human evolution: Africa. Although the authors do not go as far
as invalidating results from local archeogenome comparisons with their
respective modern denizens, they do mention that such gaps in data certainly
produce biased results, especially when considering Neanderthal ancestry and
hybridism with "modern" humans.

So much in paleomicrobiology has changed so
fast since the early work of Svante P????bo in the 1990s. It is often hard to
catch up on the "state-of-the-field" literature, particularly now that
publication outlets are numerous and publishing happens at a frantic pace.
Although this volume suffers perhaps from a lack of structure (articles jump
from specific agents of infection to data handling and back), it certainly
achieves its goal of collecting, summarizing, and synthesizing decades of
research into a succinct, well-edited, and user-friendly format.

-Ang??lique Corthals,lang=EN-CA> Science, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of
New York, New York, New York