#Medieval manuscripts are "biological time capsules" for deadly #sheeppox #virus
Sheeppox is highly contagious, often fatal viral disease largely eradicated from European livestock in 20th century. Still occasional outbreak, such as the one that afflicted many flocks of sheep in Greece. In order to reconstruct how the virus has evolved over the last 3,500yr, scientists extracted and sequenced sheeppox #DNA preserved in skins used for the parchment of medieval manuscripts.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/medieval-manuscripts-are-biological-time-capsules-for-deadly-sheeppox-virus/