Ancient human tooth stones reveal the longest microbial genome sketch to date.

Biotechnology Channel News: A chemical study published online in the British journal Nature has nearly completely constructed the genome of an oral bacterium, the 48,000-year-old microbial genome, the oldest microbial genome sketch to date, and revealed the diet of Neanderthals.
neanderthal DNA sequences are very similar to those of modern humans.
they are close relatives of modern European ancestors who "ruled" europe, western Asia and northern Africa from 120,000 years ago, but disappeared 24,000 years ago.
University of Adelaide researcher Laura Willic and colleagues sequenced DNA from five Neanderthal samples from across Europe, a hardened plaque, and almost completely "recreated" these Neanderthal oral microbiomes to assess their health and disease.
results showed that Neanderthal samples found in Spain had tooth abscesses and gastritis, and were self-treated with the natural painkiller poplar and antibiotic-producing penicillin.
team also genetically reconstructed Neanderthal diet and health.
found that Neanderthals from the Belgian village of Spy had eaten rhinos and wild sheep, while individuals found in Spain had eaten pines, moss and mushrooms.
previous studies of The Neanderthal diet, while emphasizing the importance of available local foods, very limited data were available on specific plant and animal species that Neanderthals ate.
the study not only built the genome of an oral bacterium, but also contributed to the discovery of a diet structure that used DNA preserved in dental stones to reveal significant regional differences in Neanderthal diet.
researchers say their genetic analysis of Neanderthal dental deposits could help shed light on the eating habits of our relatives, including the levels of meat they eat.
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