Biomedical subjects

Johannes Krause

Publications and source records attributed to Johannes Krause.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Population genomics, demography, and circum-Baltic connectivity of Early Medieval southwestern Finland.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of Early Medieval Finland (1050-1250 CE) relies primarily on archaeological evidence, as contemporary sources are scarce. The available evidence indicates two distinct cultural-economic zones: coastal and inland. Using newly generated genomic data from 34 ancient individuals alongside modern Finnish genomes, we characterise Late Iron Age and Early Medieval ancestry in southwestern Finland, reconstruct demographic patterns, and place individuals within a circum-Baltic relatedness network. RESULTS: Early Medieval ancestry in inland southwestern Finland was very similar to that of present-day inhabitants. Ancient coastal and inland individuals were genetically indistinguishable, whereas modern coastal populations showed substantially more Scandinavian ancestry, and less Baltic ancestry compared to their ancient counterparts. IBD (identity-by-descent) analyses also indicate a major genetic shift in the coastal zone since the Early Medieval Period. Effective population size increased throughout the study period and was ~ 13,000 by 1250 CE. IBD links between Scandinavia and Early Medieval Finland align with known archaeological connections. Furthermore, we identify IBD links between individuals from Early Medieval Finland and victims of the Kronan warship sinking. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate nearly a millenium of population continuity in the inland zone of southwestern Finland, contrasted by a large, contemporaneous genetic shift in the coastal zone. This ancestry shift corresponds with documented medieval emigration from Sweden to Finland. The regional population rapidly expanded during this time period, likely due to new agricultural practices and favourable climatic conditions. Our circum-Baltic IBD network indicates that southwestern Finland was firmly embedded into the wider, pre-modern Baltic world.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Tracing the evolution and diversity of human parvovirus B19 across human history.

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is an ubiquitously spread, exclusively human pathogen, mainly posing risks to children, as well as pregnant and immunocompromised individuals. Despite evidence of B19V infection of human populations as far back as 7,000 years, the evolutionary history of B19V remains poorly understood. In this study, we present B19V genomic data from the remains of 53 globally distributed individuals spanning more than 8,000 years, including 7 children. Our findings suggest that the most recent common ancestor of all present B19V lineages existed around 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age. Additionally, we identified an extinct Eurasian clade that participated in the recombination event that led to the emergence of B19V genotype 2 (GT-2). We date this event to ∼3,200-1,800 BP, potentially in the greater Mediterranean area. Our study shows aspects of how ancient parvovirus variants arose, disseminated, and impacted human health through time.

ancient DNA↗

PubMed2026

The Oral Microbiome of King Richard III of England.

OBJECTIVES: Metagenomic investigations of ancient dental calculus provide insights into oral health, disease, and diet. Here, we analyze the dental calculus metagenome of King Richard III of England (1452-1485). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dental calculus DNA was extracted from three teeth of King Richard III and shotgun sequenced to a depth of nearly 400 million reads. The metagenomic data were taxonomically profiled and compared to new and previously published dental calculus metagenomes from England, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany spanning the Neolithic to the present. Sequencing data were de novo assembled, and metagenome-assembled genomes assigned to the genus Tannerella were investigated for phylogenetic relatedness and virulence. Putative dietary DNA was assessed for authenticity. RESULTS: The dental calculus of King Richard III was well-preserved and yielded an exceptionally high quantity of DNA. Oral microbiome species diversity fell within the range previously observed among other northern European populations, suggesting that a royal lifestyle and a rich diet did not substantially impact his oral microbiota. The reconstructed Tannerella genomes contained many virulence factors found today among oral Tannerella species. No putative dietary DNA could be authenticated. DISCUSSION: The dental calculus of King Richard III produced one of the richest ancient oral metagenomes published to date, yet the species diversity was indistinguishable from that of commoners living in northern Europe over the last 7000 years. Insufficient plant and animal DNA were recovered to investigate diet, suggesting that dental calculus may not be a sufficient source of dietary DNA even when exceptionally well-preserved.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Ancient DNA connects large-scale migration with the spread of Slavs.

The second half of the first millennium CE in Central and Eastern Europe was accompanied by fundamental cultural and political transformations. This period of change is commonly associated with the appearance of the Slavs, which is supported by textual evidence1,2 and coincides with the emergence of similar archaeological horizons3-6. However, so far there has been no consensus on whether this archaeological horizon spread by migration, Slavicisation or a combination of both. Genetic data remain sparse, especially owing to the widespread practice of cremation in the early phase of the Slavic settlement. Here we present genome-wide data from 555 ancient individuals, including 359 samples from Slavic contexts from as early as the seventh century CE. Our data demonstrate large-scale population movement from Eastern Europe during the sixth to eighth centuries, replacing more than 80% of the local gene pool in Eastern Germany, Poland and Croatia. Yet, we also show substantial regional heterogeneity as well as a lack of sex-biased admixture, indicating varying degrees of cultural assimilation of the autochthonous populations. Comparing archaeological and genetic evidence, we find that the change in ancestry in Eastern Germany coincided with a change in social organization, characterized by an intensification of inter- and intra-site genetic relatedness and patrilocality. On the European scale, it appears plausible that the changes in material culture and language between the sixth and eighth centuries were connected to these large-scale population movements.

DNA, Ancient↗