Genomic study of plague victims in France in the 17th and 18th centuries

AI interpretationAI-generated

Ancient DNA from 79 French plague victims reveals their ancestry and disease susceptibility.

This study sequenced 79 genomes from 17th-18th century plague victims in France, linked to the Thirty Years War and the 1720-1722 Marseille epidemic. DNA came from well-preserved petrous bones, yielding coverage of 0.1 to 5.5-fold. The data offer a rare look at the genetic makeup of people who died in these outbreaks, helping researchers explore whether certain genetic traits made individuals more vulnerable to plague.

• 79 human genomes were successfully sequenced from plague victims, with 0.1-5.5x coverage.
• Petrous bones provided exceptionally well-preserved DNA for near-complete genetic profiles.
• The study links genetic ancestry and potential susceptibility factors to historical plague epidemics.

Sample interpretation

Of 71 site samples, 35 had resolved Y-chromosome lineages. The most common Y haplogroup was R-M269 (7 samples), followed by R-Z2110 and R-PF6538 (2 each). Other lineages included R-FGC35835, R-M167, R-P312, R-S20321, and E-M81 (1 each). Mitochondrial DNA was dominated by HV6 (4 samples), then T1a1, H2a, and H2a2a (3 each), with H27 and V (2 each). These results show a mix of western European paternal and maternal lineages.

For genealogy enthusiasts

For ancestry enthusiasts, this study adds a rare ancient DNA dataset from 17th-18th century France. The Y and mtDNA lineages reflect typical western European diversity, offering context for tracing regional ancestry and understanding how past epidemics may have shaped genetic variation.