Rising Star Homo naledi Remains All Female, Reshaping Hominin History
A paleoproteomics analysis of 23 Homo naledi teeth from the Rising Star Cave found no AMELY (Y chromosome) and AMELX in all samples, suggesting the known individuals were all genetically female. The result supports the idea that the Rising Star remains may reflect intentional burial and hints at gender identity in this species, while noting that a rare AMELY deletion could complicate the picture. The study also shows potential for ancient proteins to illuminate early hominin relationships and points to future DNA sequencing as methods improve.
