A study published in Nature reveals that treponemal diseases, including syphilis, may have originated in pre-Columbian Brazil, challenging previous theories about their origin. Researchers analyzed nearly 2,000-year-old human remains from Brazil, uncovering four ancient genomes of a prehistoric treponemal pathogen closely related to the bejel-causing agent Treponema pallidum endemicum. These findings suggest that treponemal subspecies, previously thought to be geographically restricted, have greater adaptive potential and may have evolved in pre-Columbian times. The study also highlights the importance of ancient DNA in understanding the evolutionary history of treponematoses, including syphilis, yaws, and bejel. The results indicate that the divergence of modern T. pallidum subspecies occurred before the first trans-Atlantic contacts, and that the ancient genomes provide a more accurate timeline for the emergence of these diseases. The study also emphasizes the need for further research to understand the full evolutionary history of treponematoses and their spread across the globe. The findings have significant implications for understanding the origins of syphilis and other treponemal diseases, and for developing new hypotheses about their spread and evolution.A study published in Nature reveals that treponemal diseases, including syphilis, may have originated in pre-Columbian Brazil, challenging previous theories about their origin. Researchers analyzed nearly 2,000-year-old human remains from Brazil, uncovering four ancient genomes of a prehistoric treponemal pathogen closely related to the bejel-causing agent Treponema pallidum endemicum. These findings suggest that treponemal subspecies, previously thought to be geographically restricted, have greater adaptive potential and may have evolved in pre-Columbian times. The study also highlights the importance of ancient DNA in understanding the evolutionary history of treponematoses, including syphilis, yaws, and bejel. The results indicate that the divergence of modern T. pallidum subspecies occurred before the first trans-Atlantic contacts, and that the ancient genomes provide a more accurate timeline for the emergence of these diseases. The study also emphasizes the need for further research to understand the full evolutionary history of treponematoses and their spread across the globe. The findings have significant implications for understanding the origins of syphilis and other treponemal diseases, and for developing new hypotheses about their spread and evolution.