El coste de la supervivencia durante la pequeña Edad de Hielo

Abstract

Among the factors that would explain the distribution of mitochondrial lineages in Europe, climate and diseases may have played an important role. A possible explanation lies in the nature of the mitochondrion in which the energy generation process produces reactive oxygen species that may influence the development of different diseases. The present study is focused on the medieval necropolis of San Miguel de Ereñozar (13th-16th centuries, Basque Country), whose inhabitants presented a high prevalence of rheumatic diseases and lived during the Little Ice Age (LIA). Our results indicate a close relationship between rheumatic diseases and haplogroup H, and specifically between spondyloarthropathies and sub-haplogroup H2. One possible explanation may be the climate change that took place in the LIA that favoured those haplogroups more energy-efficient, as haplogroup H to endure lower temperature and food shortage. However, it had a biological trade-off the increased risk of developing rheumatic diseases.