Iceman's Genome Furnishes Clues to His Ailments and Ancestry

... Now the sequencing of his genome is allowing experts to fill in more details, such as the color of his eyes, his cardiovascular health and where his ancestors originated.

Albert Zink of the European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano in Italy and his colleagues report the results of the sequencing work in a paper published today in Nature Communications (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group). The team found that the Iceman probably had brown eyes and type O blood. He was also most likely lactose intolerant as an adult. Analyses further revealed that the Iceman had several genetic risk factors for coronary heart disease. Several years ago, computer tomography scans of the mummy showed evidence of arteriosclerosis—hardening of the arteries—yet he appeared to have a healthy lifestyle. The new work suggests that a genetic predisposition to heart disease might explain the arteriosclerosis visible in the CT scans. Cardiovascular disease may not have been the Iceman’s only health issue. The investigators also found traces of DNA from the bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease in humans—the oldest such case on record...[More]

Link 2: New insights into the Tyrolean Iceman's origin and phenotype as inferred by whole-genome sequencing.
Link 3: Iceman's DNA reveals health risks and relations.
Link 4: Secuenciado el genoma de Ötzi: sufría del corazón y tenía los ojos marrones - El Imparcial
La revista "Nature Communications" ha publicado que ha sido secuenciado el genoma de Ötzi, la momia del neolítico que vivió en torno al 3350 y el 3100 a.C y descubierta en 1991 en los Alpes italianos. Conservada en el Museo Arqueológico de Bolzano, el estudio de los restos de esta momia han desvelado que estaba genéticamente predispuesta a dolencias cardiacas, según publica "Il Corriere della Sera"...