The Medici children: (Florence, XVI-XVII centuries): anthropological study and proposal of identification

Exploration of the Medici chapels in San Lorenzo in Florence revealed the burials of nine infantile members of the Medici family. Eight children were found in the intact tomb of the last Grand Duke Giangastone (1671-1737). The crypt contained several small coffins collapsed to the floor or randomly spread over a raised plank, as a result of the disastrous flood of the Arno river in 1966, which partly upset the tomb and left a layer of dry mould. The children’s remains, mostly skeletonised, were found inside the coffins or scattered on the floor or on the plank, probably transported by the water. Another child was exhumed from the chapel of Grand Duke Ferdinand I (1549-1609) and Cristina from Lorena (1565-1636). The infantile remains were submitted to anthropological study, which allowed to establish the number of individuals buried in the crypt, and to estimate the age at death. The anthropological results were compared with information provided by archival documents, related to members of the family who died in infantile age. An identification of the children is proposed

Paleopathological and metagenomic study of a XIIth cetury Perucian mummy: an ancient case of Chagas disease

Among the results obtained from this study there is the only known complete paleopathological study of Chagas’ disease (American Trypanosomiasis), comprising macroscopic, microscopic and ultrastructural data, as well as information on atherosclerosis, anthracosis, emphysema and pneumonia. We characterized the gut microbiome of two pre-Columbian Andean mummies dating to the 10–15th centuries using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and metagenomics, and compared them to a previously characterized gut microbiome of an 11th century AD pre-Columbian Andean mummy. Our previous study showed that the Clostridiales represented the majority of the bacterial communities in the mummified gut remains, but that other microbial communities were also preserved during the process of natural mummification, as shown with the metagenomics analyses. Metagenome analyses showed the presence of other microbial groups that were positively or negatively correlated with specific metabolic profiles. The presence of sequences similar to both Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania donovani could suggest that these pathogens were prevalent in pre-Columbian individuals

Risultati preliminari sul nuovo rostro di ittiosauro trovato a Gombola (MO)

Un frammento di rostro di ittiosauro (251372) è stato recentemente rinvenuto nei calanchi presso Gombola (MO) e consegnato al Museo Civico “Augusta Redorici Rof ” di Vignola (MO). Frammenti rostrali simili (IPUM 30139 e IPUM 30140) e un frammento di omero (IPUM 30141) provenienti dal medesimo luogo si trovano nelle Collezioni di Paleontologia dell’Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia. In questo articolo, viene descritto l’esemplare 251372 che, sottoposto a tomogra a assiale computerizzata (TAC) e ad un accurato restauro, è stato oggetto di uno studio tassonomico e con- frontato con IPUM 30139. La morfologia delle radici dentarie consente di ascrivere entrambi alla sottofamiglia Platypterygiinae. Alcune caratteristiche tafonomiche suggeriscono che i due reperti potessero appartenere al medesimo esemplare. Sulla matrice del reperto 251372 è stata tentata la da- tazione sia per mezzo dei microfossili, sia per mezzo dei nannofossili calcarei. Purtroppo entrambi i metodi non hanno prodotto alcun risultato signi cativo. L’esemplare 251372 può essere quindi datato genericamente al Cretaceo Inferiore-Cenomaniano (145-94 milioni di anni fa).Preliminary results on the new ichthyosaur rostrum found in Gombola (Italy). An ichthyosaur rostrum (251372) was recently found in the badlands near Gombola (Modena Apennines, Italy) and is exhibited at the Civic Museum “Augusta Redorici Rof ” in Vignola (Modena province). Similar rostral fragments (IPUM 30139 and IPUM 30140) and a humerus fragment (IPUM 30141) from the same place are stored in the Palaeontological Collections of Modena and Reggio Emilia University. Specimen 251372, examined by CT scan and subsequently restored, is described and compared with IPUM 30139. The morphology of the dental root showed that both specimens could be ascribed to the Platypterygiinae subfamily. Some taphonomical features suggest that the two fragments could belong to the same specimen. The matrix of 251372 was examined to search for microfossils and calcareous nannofossils useful for precise dating. Unfortunately, no signi cant results came out of this survey. Therefore, specimen 251372 can be loosely dated to the Lower Cretaceous-Cenomanian (145-94 My)

Bioarchaeology of Life and Death in Tuscany, Italy, AD 900–1900

Human remains from archaeological contexts provide a fund of information for addressing questions and hypotheses about what life was like in the past. These remains are especially important because they represent the individual and their life experiences from early childhood through adulthood, and especially those experiences relating to health and lifestyle. This paper presents an overview of health indicators documented in an ongoing bioarchaeological project involving the study of remains of people interred at the church of San Pietro a Pozzeveri, located near the village of Badia Pozzeveri in the province of Tuscany, northern Italy. Founded in the 11th century A.D., the church was in continuous existence until the mid-20th century. The church was part of a monastery during the 12th through 14th centuries, and was located on the Via Francigena, a strategic trade and pilgrimage route connecting Canterbury, England, with Rome. Archaeological excavations have produced numerous skeletons from the medieval, Renaissance, and modern (17th to 19th centuries) periods. Key events that impacted the people living in this region included the Black Death, which swept through Europe in the medieval period, and the local record of the global cholera epidemic in the mid-19th century. Study of skeletal and dental pathology (osteoperiostitis, osteoarthritis, dental caries), trauma, and other evidence of living conditions reveals the hardships of life in this setting. The record of infection and poor oral health speaks to both the poor circumstances of diet, including a focus on dietary carbohydrates, and poor health generally in the region in particular and Europe in general during this thousand-year period of history

Paleogenomic and ancient DNA

Introduction The DNA is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic information necessary for RNA and protein biosynthesis. DNA extracted from past samples (teeth, bones, faeces, etc.) is defined ancient DNA (aDNA) and needs, to preserve, low level of oxygen, fast decrease in water content and, above all, according to the Arrhenius equation, low temperature. From 1985 (first aDNA extracted from a mummy) with the introduction of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) several studies of paleogenomic were born, but it is essential to identify some possible errors such as fragmentations, contaminations and post-mortal mutations [1]. The applications of the paleogenomic are: evolutionary biology, population studies, studies of the pathogens and microorganism. Materials and methods We report 3 cases studied by the Division of Paleopathology of Pisa: a) Ferrante I, king of Naples (1431-1494). The natural mummy showed round white formations of the pelvis infiltrating the abdominal wall ( 1a-b). b) Maria of Aragon (1503-1568). The well-preserved artificial mummy had a small peduncolate arborescence neoformation in the right inguinal region. c) Andean female mummy (so-called ‘Fi9’) dated 10th–11th century A.D by radiocarbonium analyses. The natural young mummy presented a marked megavisceral syndrome characterized by megacolon, megaoesophagus and cardiomegaly. It was possible to perform complete autopsies and collect tissue samples utilized for histological analyses and DNA extraction. Results a) Histology performed on the round formations confirmed the diagnosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma. Amplification of aDNA highlighted a point mutation of the codon 12 in K-Ras oncogene responsible for the cancer [2] (fig. 1c). b) Macroscopic and histological aspects seemed peculiar of condyloma acuminatum, a papillomavirus-induced squamous lesion also called “venereal wart”. Molecular study revealed the presence of HPV 18, a virus with high oncogenic potential. Automated sequencing of several clones revealed 100% similarity sequences of both HPV 18 and JC9813 DNA, a putative novel HPV with low oncogenic potential [3] (fig. 2c) c) Analysis of the gut microbiome (paleofeces, descending, transverse and ascending colon) underlined the massive presence of Clostridiceae. Sequences homologous to HPVs in the mummified gut (descending colon) was particularly surprising. It was detected also the Tripanosoma cruzi; by comparing a partial sequence homologous to the large ribosomal subunit alpha of the presumptive ancient T. cruzi with modern strains, we suggest that this pathogen may have a more remote origin than previously expected. We also found sequences associated with putative beta-lactamases, penicillin-binding proteins, resistance to fosfomycin, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, macrolides, sulfa, quinolones, tetracycline and vancomycin, and multi-drug transporters [4] (fig. 3c). Conclusion a) The alimentary “environment” of the Neapolitan court of the XV century, with its abundance of natural alimentary alkylating agents (red smoked meat), well explains the acquired mutation of K-Ras. b) This represented the first molecular diagnosis of HPV in mummies. HPV is a very old virus that evolved together with man. c) Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus and Pseudomonas sequences were identified in the mummified gut, opening the opportunity to investigate possible mechanisms by which these bacteria are preserved. The detection of sequences homologous to those of pathogens such as T. cruzi and HPV indicate their presence in the Americas prior to European colonization. The presence of antibiotic-resistance genes in an 11th century pre-Columbian Andean mummy is intriguing as antibiotics were introduced recently. The presence of beta-lactam antibiotic resistance is certainly not unexpected in any culture, as would be in the case of resistance to any natural rather than a semi- or completely synthetic antibiotic as a result of exposure to natural antibiotic-producing microbiota originating from the environment (e.g. soil); however, vancomycin, particularly, was discovered more than 50 years ago, and vancomycin-resistance genes have been mainly implicated with the increased use of this antibiotic. The presence of antibiotic-resistance genes in the ancient human gut microbiome clearly indicates that these genes pre-date therapeutical use of these compounds and that they are not necessarily associated to a selective pressure of antibiotics use. Identification of pathogens and antibiotic-resistance genes in ancient human specimens will aid in the understanding of the evolution of pathogens as a way to treat and prevent diseases caused by bacteria, microbial eukaryotes and viruses. References Willerslev E, Cooper A. Review paper. Ancient Dna. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences. 2005; 272(1558):3– 16. Marchetti A, Pellegrini S, Bevilacqua G, Fornaciari G. K-RAS mutation in the tumour of Ferrante I of Aragon, King of Naples. The Lancet; 1996, May 4;347(9010):1272. Fornaciari G, Zavaglia K, Ciranni R. Human papillomavirus in a 16th century mummy. The Lancet; 2003, Oct 3, vol 362. Santiago-Rodriguez TM, Fornaciari G, Luciani S, Dowd SE, Toranzos GA, Marota I, Cano RJ. Gut Microbiome of an 11th Century A.D. PreColumbian Andean Mummy. PLoS One, 2015 Sep 30;10(9)

Organic Carbon Burial following the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) in the central - western Tethys

We present trace metal geochemistry and stable isotope records for the middle Eocene Alano di Piave section, NE Italy, deposited during magnetochron C18n in the marginal Tethys Ocean. We identify a $\sim$ 500 kyr long carbon isotope perturbation event we infer to be the middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) confirming the northern hemisphere expression and global occurrence of MECO. Interpreted peak climatic conditions are followed by the rapid deposition of two organic rich intervals ($\le$3\% TOC) and contemporaneous positive $\delta^{13}$C excursions. These two intervals are associated with increases in the concentration of sulphur and redox-sensitive trace metals, and low concentrations of Mn, as well as coupled with the occurrence of pyrite. Together these changes imply low, possibly dysoxic, bottom water O$_{2}$ conditions promoting increased organic carbon burial. We hypothesize that this rapid burial of organic carbon lowered global {\it p}CO$_{2}$ following the peak warming and returned the climate system to the general Eocene cooling trend

A human MMTV-like betaretrovirus linked to breast cancer has been present in humans at least since the Copper Age

The betaretrovirus Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) is the well characterized etiological agent of mammary tumors in mice. In contrast, the etiology of sporadic human breast cancer (BC) is unknown, but accumulating data indicate a possible viral origin also for these malignancies. The presence of MMTVenv-like sequences (MMTVels) in the human salivary glands and saliva supports the latter as possible route of interhuman dissemination. In the absence of the demonstration of a mouse-man transmission of MMTV, we considered the possibility that a cross-species transmission could have occurred in ancient times. Therefore, we investigated MMTVels in the ancient dental calculus, which originates from saliva and is an excellent material for paleovirology. The calculus was collected from 36 ancient human skulls, excluding any possible mouse contamination. MMTV-like sequences were identified in the calculus of 6 individuals dated from the Copper Age to the 17th century. The MMTV-like sequences were compared with known human endogenous betaretroviruses and with animal exogenous betaretroviruses, confirming their exogenous origin and relation to MMTV. These data reveal that a human exogenous betaretrovirus similar to MMTV has existed at least since 4,500 years ago and indirectly support the hypothesis that it could play a role in human breast cancer

New Insights on Plant Cell Elongation: A Role for Acetylcholine

We investigated the effect of auxin and acetylcholine on the expression of the tomato expansin gene LeEXPA2, a specific expansin gene expressed in elongating tomato hypocotyl segments. Since auxin interferes with clathrin-mediated endocytosis, in order to regulate cellular and developmental responses we produced protoplasts from tomato elongating hypocotyls and followed the endocytotic marker, FM4-64, internalization in response to treatments. Tomato protoplasts were observed during auxin and acetylcholine treatments after transient expression of chimerical markers of volume-control related compartments such as vacuoles. Here we describe the contribution of auxin and acetylcholine to LeEXPA2 expression regulation and we support the hypothesis that a possible subcellular target of acetylcholine signal is the vesicular transport, shedding some light on the characterization of this small molecule as local mediator in the plant physiological response

Insights on Funeral Practices and Insects Associated with the Tombs of King Ferrante II d'Aragona and Other Renaissance Nobles

The impressive Sacristy of the Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore contains 38 wooden sarcophagi with the bodies of 10 Aragonese princes and other Neapolitan nobles, who died in the 15th and 16th centuries. To improve the knowledge about the entomofauna associated with bodies in archaeological contexts, herein we provide insights on the funerary practices and the insect community associated to Ferrante II King of Naples and other Italian Renaissance mummies of the Aragonese dynasty buried in the Basilica of St. Domenico Maggiore. We identified 842 insect specimens: 88% were Diptera (Muscidae, Fanniidae, and Phoridae), followed by 9% Lepidoptera (Tineidae) and 3% Coleoptera (Dermestidae and Ptinidae). Ninety-seven percent of the specimens were collected from the coffin of Francesco Ferdinando d'Avalos, which was the best preserved. A lack of fly species characterizing the first colonization waves of exposed bodies was noted. The most common fly was the later colonizing muscid Hydrotaea capensis (Wiedemann); only a few Fanniidae (Fannia spp.) were retrieved. The lack of blowflies, coupled with recording H. capensis as the dominant fly, supports our hypothesis that corpses have been kept indoors for a long time under confined environmental conditions. Other explanations include odorous oils/balms having been used in the embalming process, causing the delay or stopping the arrival of first colonizer flies. Hermetically sealing of the coffin with bitumen may also have played a role in preventing access to the corpses. This scenario describes a historical context characterized by a well-advanced knowledge of body preparation, with specific burial techniques adopted for nobles