Oldest ever plague genome found in Russia

Scientists discovered the bacterium Yersinia pestis in 3,800-year-old human remains in Samarra, Russia. This bacterium is known to have caused the bubonic plague. Researchers used genetic sequencing to analyze the samples and found that the presence of Yersinia pestis predates current estimates of the plague's lineage by about 1,000 years, placing it in the Bronze Age. The study suggests that there were at least two strains of the plague lineage at that time, challenging the previous belief of a single strain.

Where were the remains containing Yersinia pestis found?

• Warsaw, Poland

• Kiev, Ukraine

• Moscow, Russia

• Samarra, Russia

What significant disease is Yersinia pestis known to have caused?

• Cholera

• Bubonic Plague

• Spanish Flu

• Smallpox

How much earlier do the samples predate current thinking on the plague's lineage?

• 2000 years

• 1500 years

• 1000 years

• 500 years

In which historical period do the findings place the plague's lineage?

• Middle Ages

• Iron Age

• Bronze Age

• Stone Age

How many strains of the plague lineage were suggested to exist at the time?

• Four

• Three

• Two

• One