Ancient DNA extracted from Chilean mummies is providing the strongest available genetic evidence that smallpox was introduced to the Americas from Europe. Multiple outlets report that viral sequences recovered from mummies dating to roughly 400–500 years ago represent some of the earliest smallpox genetic material found in the region.
The findings are described as the first molecular evidence linking smallpox’s arrival in the Americas to European colonization. Nature, Scientific American and others say the Chilean mummy genomes confirm the virus’s Atlantic origin, while also identifying the sequences as belonging to an extinct smallpox lineage distinct from modern strains. Times of India and Scientific American add that the data helps fill gaps left by historical accounts and offers new insight into smallpox evolution.
Some coverage emphasizes the “earliest known genome” aspect and focuses on the timeline, while other reports highlight how the DNA clarifies how and when smallpox reached Indigenous populations. Overall, the outlets converge on the same core result: the genetic evidence points to Europeans as the source of the smallpox virus in the Americas.
