How badly was human genetic variability effected by The Black Plague outbreak in the Dark Ages?

Question

How badly was human genetic variability effected by The Black Plague outbreak in the Dark Ages?

Answer 1

Not too bad, I would think.  It wiped out something like a third of the population of Europe, and much less in Asia.  That leaves most of the human genome intact.

One nitpick: it happened in the Middle Ages, not specifically the Dark Ages.  The Dark Ages are the period from the fall of Rome to about 1000, but the Plague hit Europe around 1347.

Answer 2

When you say "badly" I am not sure what you mean. But it was a mutation that allowed some people to survive the Plague. It had to do with the alleles present in the genomes of the individuals. If both parents of the survivors passed on their mutation, the offspring survived and did not even get sick. If only one person passed on their mutation but the other parent did not, apparently the offspring became sick, but survived.

A genetic study was done in a small English hamlet a few years ago of the genomes of individuals whose ancestors had survived the Plague. A common gene was discovered and traced to descendents found in Europe and the USA. Those individuals who inherited the gene that was passed down through the centuries are also immune to AIDS.

It is a fascinating story. I have included the link below.