Published in Cell Reports, a new genomic analysis of skeletal remains from the Mesopotamian Delta has identified the earliest known human adaptation to endemic fluvial parasites. The study found specific genetic mutations in the immune systems of these late Pleistocene foragers that provided a defense against waterborne pathogens common in tidal marshlands.
This paleogenomic study offers a new perspective on how human biology was shaped by the challenges of sedentary life in riverine ecosystems long before the rise of the first cities. The findings suggest that early populations in the Fertile Crescent underwent significant genetic selection to survive the high pathogen loads of the delta environment.