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Ancient Proteins

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China's Yunnan Cave Sheds New Denisovan Details
science29 days ago

China's Yunnan Cave Sheds New Denisovan Details

Archaeologists in Yunnan, China, uncovered seven Denisovan fossils at Bianfu Cave, including two skull fragments, four teeth and a partial arm bone, found with bone- and stone-tools and fossil pollen and animal remains dating 167,000 to 134,000 years ago. The find provides the first direct Denisovan context in southern China, suggesting the group occupied diverse forests and hunted large prey. No ancient DNA was preserved, but protein analysis confirmed Denisovan identity for several bones and teeth, and researchers plan sediment DNA testing to better map their past range across Asia.

via Yahoo News Singapore|
#ancient-proteins#bianfu-cave#china-archaeology
Tooth proteins hint Homo naledi at Rising Star may have been all female
science3 months ago

Tooth proteins hint Homo naledi at Rising Star may have been all female

A new study of preserved dental enamel proteins from about 20 Homo naledi individuals at South Africa’s Rising Star cave finds no signature of amelogenin Y, suggesting the group could be all female and fueling the idea of deliberate burial at the site. However, absence of Y does not prove all-female status, and alternative explanations—such as genetic variation, inbreeding, or a loss of the Y gene—could also explain the results. More evidence is needed before drawing firm conclusions about the population’s sex composition or burial practices.

via ScienceAlert|
#amelogenin-y#ancient-proteins#burial-rituals
Enamel clues link Homo erectus to Denisovans in a web-like human tree
science4 months ago

Enamel clues link Homo erectus to Denisovans in a web-like human tree

Scientists extracted ancient enamel proteins from six Homo erectus teeth found in three sites in China (about 400,000 years old) using a new, minimally invasive enamel-etching technique. They identified two shared amino acid variants, one of which also appears in Denisovans and some modern humans, suggesting interbreeding between Homo erectus, Denisovans, and Homo sapiens and supporting a networked view of human evolution. The study relied on proteins (not DNA) and analyzed teeth from Hexian and Zhoukoudian, with five males and one female identified, highlighting open questions about how these populations relate to each other.

via CNN|
#ancient-proteins#denisovans#hominin-interbreeding
Ancient Proteins Reveal New Insights into Rhino Evolution and Paleontology
science1 year ago

Ancient Proteins Reveal New Insights into Rhino Evolution and Paleontology

Paleontologists have discovered preserved ancient proteins in a 24-million-year-old rhinoceros fossil, challenging previous timelines of rhino evolution and demonstrating the potential of protein analysis to study deep past species beyond the limits of ancient DNA, thereby opening new avenues for understanding evolutionary history.

via Indian Defence Review|
#ancient-proteins#fossil-analysis#paleontology
Ancient Proteins Unearthed in 125-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Feathers
paleontology3 years ago

Ancient Proteins Unearthed in 125-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Feathers

Paleontologists at University College Cork have discovered X-ray evidence of proteins in 125-million-year-old dinosaur feathers, revealing that the protein composition of modern-day feathers was also present in the feathers of dinosaurs and early birds. The research challenges previous studies suggesting that ancient feathers had a different composition and confirms that the chemistry of feathers originated much earlier than previously thought. The team developed a new method to detect traces of ancient feather proteins and found that feathers from the dinosaur Sinornithosaurus contained beta-proteins, similar to modern bird feathers. The study also sheds light on the fossilization process and the preservation of biomolecules in deep time.

via SciTechDaily|
#ancient-proteins#dinosaur-feathers#feather-evolution
Ancient Peptides Display Antibiotic Properties in Neanderthals and Denisovans
science-and-technology3 years ago

Ancient Peptides Display Antibiotic Properties in Neanderthals and Denisovans

Researchers have discovered a series of peptides with antibiotic activity in the proteomes of ancient humans, including Neanderthals and Denisovans. By analyzing the proteomes of these ancient hominins, the researchers identified 69 promising peptides, six of which showed antibiotic activity against different pathogens in mouse models. The peptides have different amino acid distributions compared to known antimicrobial peptides, suggesting differences in evolutionary pressures. The de-extinct peptides appear to target the inner membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, which could help in designing drugs against traditionally resistant microorganisms. This study marks a pivotal starting point for the exploration of novel antibiotics.

via Chemistry World|
#ancient-proteins#antibiotics#denisovans
Ancient Teeth Reveal Oldest Genetic Data from Human Relative
science-and-technology3 years ago

Ancient Teeth Reveal Oldest Genetic Data from Human Relative

Researchers have successfully extracted genetic information from 2-million-year-old teeth belonging to Paranthropus robustus, an ancient human relative. These protein sequences, the oldest ever recovered, provide insights into the evolutionary relationships between different hominin species. The study utilized mass spectrometry to analyze amino acids in the enamel of the teeth, revealing the presence of a male-specific protein in two samples. The findings contribute to our understanding of human evolution and highlight the potential of ancient protein studies in reconstructing the history of hominins. However, some scientists caution that bone shape remains a more reliable method for untangling evolutionary relationships.

via Nature.com|
#ancient-proteins#evolutionary-relationships#fossil-teeth