Episode Details

Scientists just found the first direct molecular proof that smallpox arrived in the Americas from Europe — and it’s a game-changer. Ancient viral DNA extracted from mummified remains in northern Chile reveals a now-extinct strain of variola virus, caught right as it began its deadly rampage. This virus, with zero immunity among indigenous populations, wiped out up to 90% of native people across Mesoamerica and South America — helping topple empires like the Aztec and Inca. The discovery, tied to two individuals buried in the 16th century, offers a rare evolutionary snapshot of the virus’s early spread and underscores how disease shaped history.

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