Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in human evolution studies by extracting 2 million-year-old protein remains from ancient pre-human teeth. The extracted proteins revealed biological sex and genetic variability in Paranthropus robustus, an extinct hominin genus that emerged and evolved in Africa between 2.8 and 1.2 million years ago.
The study, published in the journal Science, provides significant insights into early human evolution and genetic diversity in Africa. Researchers used a technique called palaeoproteomics to retrieve ancient protein sequences from the teeth of four Paranthropus robustus fossils recovered from the cave site Swartkrans. The extracted proteins allowed them to identify two male and two female specimens.
The researchers also found unexpected genetic variability within Paranthropus robustus, challenging previous assumptions about species characteristics and evolution. This discovery has implications for understanding sex-related differences in morphology and behavior. The findings also provide a new method for determining the biological sex of ancient fossils.
This breakthrough is significant as it allows scientists to study the genetic diversity of early human ancestors. The extracted proteins can be used to reconstruct DNA sequences, providing valuable insights into human evolution. However, the small amount of genetic information available in these ancient proteins means that further research and advancements are needed to fully understand human evolution.
The discovery was made possible by the use of advanced mass spectrometry techniques and the development of a quantitative method for increasing certainty in sex determination. The study’s co-leads, Ioannis Patramanis and Claire Koenig, highlighted the importance of this technique for understanding species characteristics and evolution.
Source: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-05-29-ancient-protein-from-pre-human-teeth-reveals-genetic-secrets-of-human-evolutionary-tree