A flea that’s been frozen in time may possess bacteria that’s the ancestor of the Black Death. The infamous plague claimed the lives of 75-200 million people before peaking in Europe during the mid-14 century.
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Poinar admits that it is impossible to confirm beyond any doubt that the bacteria are plague bacilli but their presence in the flea do hint that maybe plague-causing microorganisms evolved millions of years ago and affected rodents, at the very least.
The amber-encased flea was found in an amber mine located between Santiago and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
That is, the bacteria on said flea has a strong resemblance in shape and form to the bubonic plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis, and researchers believe it may be Earth’s oldest evidence of that historic killer, according to a release. Though it is impossible to accurately classify the bacteria found on the flea, Yersinia pestis is the only known genus of bacteria that forms both short rods and almost-spherical cell shapes – shapes that were clearly observed by Poinar in the bacteria on the flea. When the flea bit its next victim, it would regurgitate tainted blood into them, passing on the blight. When a flea used an infected animal as its food, the bacteria taken from the animal’s blood remained in the flea, making it impossible to feed again, as it would block the flea’s stomach. These ancient strains would certainly be extinct by now, he said.
The discovery of the Yernisia Pestis, a plague bacterium which killed approximately a half of the Europe’s population in the 14century, could be evidence that proves the fact that the bacteria existed a long before this event happened.
However, Poinar points out, Yersina pestis has existed as several different and distinct strains, several of which are extinct at this point in time.
Poinar even theorizes that the disease-carrying insects that date all the way back to the Jurassic period, actually may have played a bit role in the ultimate demise of the dinosaurs. This would support Poinar’s thesis that the emergence of insects towards the end of the dinosaur era was not coincidental and that this class of fauna may have contributed to the extinction of the giant reptiles.
“It could be an ancient strain of the bacterium that has since then infected humans”. Scientists have discovered a flea preserved in amber with tiny bacteria that could have eventually evolved into the dreaded strain of the bubonic plague.
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Today, in addition to humans, bubonic plague can infect many types of animals and is endemic to many countries, including the United States, where it has been detected in prairie dogs and other small animals.
