‘Clear Evidence’: Ancient DNA From Chilean Mummies Reveals Who Brought Smallpox to The Americas
31st July 2026
Smallpox is an age-old scourge with a terrible history.
Caused by the variola virus, it’s thought to have been responsible for some 4 million total deaths in Indigenous communities in the Americas after European colonizers arrived – communities with no immune protection against the virus.
Previously, the evidence for this has been a historical paper trail.
Now though, 500 years later, we have the first solid genetic evidence that it was indeed smallpox contracted from Europeans that led to this catastrophic population decline in Indigenous communities.
Oh, good. Another thing to blame white people for. Just think of it as evolution in action and move the fuck on.