Ancient DNA from 5,500-year-old Siberian graves reveals a previously unknown plague strain that killed members of hunter-gatherer communities.
The newly discovered strain contained a genetic superantigen that researchers say made infections particularly deadly for children.
The study adds evidence that plague may have originated in Central or Northeast Asia thousands of years before the advent of agriculture.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
Ancient DNA recovered from cemeteries in southeast Siberia has revealed previously unknown strains of plague that had a deadly impact on an unexpected group of people 5,500 years ago.
