Origin of yaws in the Pleistocene

摘要

SIR-Although controversy exists about the role of Columbus in the spread of syphilis, new observations now suggest that treponematosis (in the form of yaws) actually had its origin in Africa during the Middle Pleistocene (1.5 million years ago). Thisconclusion is based on reanal-ysis of periosteal reaction patterns in Homo erectus KNM-ER1808 and study of other H. erectus skeletal remains in the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi.