[SunkenCiv]

Yamnaya people moved into Central Asia from the region around present day Caucasus in early Bronze Age (c. 5000 years ago) and developed the Afanasievo culture. The Afanasievo are one of the Bronze Age groups carrying Y. pestis. Credit: Natalia Shishlina

[Tax-chick]

I'm currently (though not at this moment) watching a Great Courses series on the Black Death. One point that's been brought up both in the course and in my reading is that, although we're pretty darn sure that Yersinia pestis is "Bubonic Plague," we're not nearly as sure that there weren't other causes of death kicking around at the same time.

Also, the lecturer wears very slimming outfits, which I will copy if I'm invited to appear on "Jeopardy!".

[eyeamok]

It appears the flea-borne virus is more preferable, maybe that’s why Los Angeles is breeding them

[Billthedrill]

The pneumonic form of plague is directly human-to-human contagious, so the jump to fleas may have been a lateral species jump providing another disease vector and an additional reservoir in infected animals. Cheery thought - what we have today is the new, improved version.

[PIF]

genetic mutations can't happen
see: Mathematical Challenges to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution with Berlinski, Meyer, and Gelernter