This discovery shows how advanced the scientific world is today, and the wonders we can do with it. This is by far one of the most intriguing pieces of research I have read and I cannot but help marvel at it. It shows how what we once thought was mere science fiction is now a reality. I mean- who would have thought that a piece of chewing gum would describe precisely not only the appearance of the woman but also her diet? This is not only an incredible feat in biology but it also gives insight into the history and culture of the people that lived a few millennia ago.
How and what is the interesting bit. A piece of chewed 'gum' (simply a substance called birch pitch which is similar in texture to our regular bubble gum) was found on an island in Denmark. Because the gum was waterproof it contained certain bits of the woman's saliva. It also, not surprisingly, had tooth marks well preserved and that helped determine that she was not a woman, but a young girl of around 13-14 years old. Strands of DNA preserved on the gum was used to elucidate her physical features.
According to her genetic information, she had dark hair complementing her dark skin tone, but, in stark contrast, startlingly blue eyes. Sometime before she chewed the gum, based on the traces of DNA found she is thought to have had a meal of hazelnuts and duck. What is more, is that she seemed to be from Central Europe and not Scandanavian hunter-gatherer populations. Much about her ancestry was also revealed.
One interesting aspect suggested by the authors of the article is how pathogens, i.e. harmful microbes, can be preserved in such materials and how they can affect future generations. This can help suggest how pathogens could be eradicated and contained for our benefit.
The main reason for introducing this article was to firstly highlight our level of advancement in the field of research and secondly to perhaps evoke your curiosity in this amazing discovery and encourage you to work in the same field. The full article can be found below.
Article Citations:
Jensen, T.Z.T., Niemann, J., Iversen, K.H. et al. A 5700 year-old human genome and oral microbiome from chewed birch pitch. Nat Commun10, 5520 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13549-9
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