Biology subjects

Fiddyment, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Fiddyment, S..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

3,500 years of sheeppox virus evolution inferred from archaeological and codicological genomes

Sheeppox virus (SPPV) is a major livestock pathogen causing economic hardship through reduced production and death of vulnerable sheep, with written descriptions of sheeppox-like disease recorded since antiquity. We report 21 novel ancient SPPV genomes spanning the Eurasian steppe Bronze Age ([~]1,700 BCE) to the Early Modern period in Western Europe, including multiple genomes obtained from medieval parchment. We estimate that major capripoxvirus lineages diverged [~]11,500-3,700 years ago, overlapping known translocations and bio-cultural developments in sheep. Our dataset supports SPPV diverging first within the lineage leading to goatpox virus and lumpy skin disease virus, and that known gene inactivation events within SPPV and goatpox virus occur in our earliest SPPV genomes. These findings reveal that the food security of Eurasian communities have been threatened by sheeppox for over 3,700 years, and provide new insights to the genomic evolution and potential host adaptation of sheeppox virus. TeaserAncient viral genomes from manuscripts and teeth illuminate the evolutionary history of sheeppox virus.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2025

The oral microbiome of King Richard III of England

Metagenomic investigation of archaeological dental calculus has provided insights into the changing oral health, disease, and diet of past human societies, but little is known about the oral microbiota of exceptionally high-status individuals, whose diet and lifestyle sharply differed from the general population. Here we analyze the dental calculus metagenome of King Richard III of England (1452-1485) and compare it to new and previously published dental calculus metagenomes from predominantly non-elite contexts in England, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany spanning the Neolithic to the present. Deep sequencing and de novo assembly enabled the investigation of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from periopathogens within the genus Tannerella. DNA preservation within the dental calculus of King Richard III was found to be exceptional, yielding an extraordinarily well-preserved oral microbiota. Oral microbiome species diversity fell within the range previously observed among other northern European populations over the past 7,000 years, suggesting that a royal lifestyle and a rich diet did not substantially shift his oral microbiome composition. Reconstructed Tannerella genomes contained many virulence factors found today among periopathogens, including Tannerella forsythia. Insufficient plant and animal DNA was recovered to investigate diet, suggesting that dental calculus may not be a sufficient source of dietary DNA for dietary reconstruction, even when well-preserved. The dental calculus of King Richard III has produced one of the richest and best preserved ancient oral metagenomes studied to date and contributes to understanding the ecology and evolution of the human oral microbiome.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

An extensive archaeological dental calculus dataset spanning 5000 years for ancient human oral microbiome research

Archaeological dental calculus can provide detailed insights into the ancient human oral microbiome. We offer a multi-period, multi-site, ancient shotgun metagenomic dataset consisting of 174 samples obtained primarily from archaeological dental calculus derived from various skeletal collections in the United Kingdom. This article describes all the materials used including the skeletons historical period and burial location, biological sex, and age determination, data accessibility, and additional details associated with environmental and laboratory controls. In addition, this article describes the laboratory and bioinformatic methods associated with the dataset development and discusses the technical validity of the data following quality assessments, damage evaluations, and decontamination procedures. Our approach to collecting, making accessible, and evaluating bioarchaeological metadata in advance of metagenomic analysis aims to further enable the exploration of archaeological science topics such as diet, disease, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Girding the loins? Direct evidence of the use of a medieval parchment birthing girdle from biomolecular analysis

In this paper we describe a dry non-invasive extraction method to detect palaeoproteomic evidence from stained manuscripts. The manuscript analysed in this study is a medieval parchment birth girdle (Wellcome Collection Western MS. 632) made in England and thought to be used by pregnant women while giving birth. Using a dry non-invasive sampling method we were able to extract both human and non-human peptides from the stains, including evidence for the use of honey, cereals, ovicaprine milk and legumes. In addition, a large number of human peptides were detected on the birth roll, many of which are found in cervico-vaginal fluid. This suggests that the birth roll was actively used during childbirth. This study is the first to extract and analyse non-collagenous peptides from a parchment document using a dry non-invasive sampling method and demonstrates the potential of this type of analysis for stained manuscripts, providing direct biomolecular evidence for active use.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2017

The York Gospels: a one thousand year biological palimpsest

Medieval manuscripts, carefully curated and conserved, represent not only an irreplaceable documentary record but also a remarkable reservoir of biological information. Palaeographic and codicological investigation can often locate and date these documents with remarkable precision. The York Gospels (York Minster Ms. Add. 1) is one such codex, one of only a small collection of pre-conquest Gospel books to have survived the Reformation. By extending the non-invasive triboelectric (eraser-based) sampling technique eZooMS, to include the analysis of DNA we report a cost effective and simple-to-use biomolecular sampling technique. We apply this combined methodology to document for the first time a rich palimpsest of biological information contained within the York Gospels, which has accumulated over the 1,000 year lifespan of this cherished object that remains an active participant in the life of York Minster. This biological data provides insights into the decisions made in the selection of materials, the construction of the codex and the use history of the object.

genomics↗