DNA Tests Halted on King Tut

Analysis of bones from a Roman cemetery suggest that a malaria epidemic during the fifth century AD was a contributing factor to the collapse of the Roman Empire. The new evidence is based on an analysis of DNA taken from the bones of an infant which show the genetic imprint of infection by Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the most virulent form of malaria.  Previously historians had debated the possibility that malaria was a factor in ancient Greece and Rome, but the current research provides strong support for the existence of the disease at least 1,500 years ago.

• DNA Shows Malaria Helped Topple Rome New York Times
• DNA Clues to Malaria in Ancient Rome BBC
• Skeleton Find Links Malaria to Fall of Rome National Geographic News
• Did Malaria Ruin Rome? The Times