Ancient teeth from Siberia rewrite the plague’s timeline, dating back to over 5,500 years ago (opens original article in a new tab)

Scientists discovered the oldest known plague evidence in Siberian teeth, dating back 5,500 years, suggesting it spread from marmots and caused outbreaks among ancient hunter-gatherers.

• Scientists found the oldest known evidence of the plague, dating back 5,500 years.
• The plague likely spread from marmots to humans through raw organs or infected hides.
• The study suggests the ancient plague could cause both individual cases and outbreaks.