Multiomics analysis of the Silkworm cocoon shell
Panagiota Fragkou, Ioannis Martakos, Georgia Rouni, Demetrios Vasilakos, Evangelos Koutsoukos, Alesssio Saviane, Silvia Cappellozza, Nikolaos S. Thomaidis, Marios G. Kostakis, Martina Samiotaki, Sotiris Kotsiantis, Mariana Barcenas & Skarlatos G. Dedos
This manuscript is a comprehensive multidisciplinary venture to narrate the anthropogenic evolutionary history of European silkworm races in Europe, the races that propelled the production of silk in Europe to exceptional heights in the 19th and early 20th century.
Using state-of-the-art methods, both analytical and mathematical, we showcase a history of constant trading, transfer and exchange of European silkworm races within Europe and West Asia during the 19th and early 20th century that echoes the trade of silk within Europe during that time.
Without delving into historical narratives, we corroborate and verify historical narratives and data presented in 19th century manuscripts about silk production in Europe. We identify three regional hotspots of diversification of these European silkworm races, the region of Var in South France, Calabria in South Italy and Iran in West Asia, as geographical areas that in the 19th century were trading centres for both silkworm eggs and silk contributing to the further diversification of sericulture within Europe.
Bringing together experts from diverse scientific fields, our work is a prime example of how history and historical facts can be validated and proven true using methods seemingly unrelated to historical analysis.