09/2026 Sheeppox through the ages: New paper explores genomic continuity from Bronze Age herds to medieval parchment

By recovering viral DNA from both Bronze Age sheep dental remains and sheepskin parchment used in medieval manuscripts, researchers reconstructed a genomic record of sheeppox virus spanning roughly 3700 years, with the earliest evidence traced to pastoralist populations on the Eurasian steppe around 1700 BCE. Comparative analysis of these genomes across time reveals a pattern of accumulated mutations and gene loss, offering insight into the virus's long-term evolutionary trajectory. The findings situate shifts in viral genome structure within the broader context of changing human-livestock relationships, underscoring how pathogen evolution and pastoral practices have been intertwined since antiquity.