Proteins Extend the Human Evolution Narrative Beyond DNA

Ancient proteins may fill gaps left by DNA decay, offering new insight into human evolution.

Proteins Extend the Human Evolution Narrative Beyond DNA

DNA begins to break down after death, and its information fades quickly. Paleoproteomics studies ancient proteins that last longer and can reveal details about early human relatives. The field has produced milestones, from a 43,000-year-old mammoth proteome to recent work on 21-million-year-old fossils, and it holds promise for pushing our knowledge beyond where DNA survives.

In Africa, where most human evolution occurred, proteins from teeth and enamel are helping scientists test who was related to whom. Researchers have recovered proteomes from Paranthropus robustus and Australopithecus africanus, and other ancient hominins. Still, the enamel proteome is tiny, and scientists caution that results are provisional and depend on samples, methods, and context.

The shift from DNA to protein-rich evidence changes how we study deep time. It introduces new biases and uncertainties but also opens access to data previously unavailable.

This approach pushes debates about lineage and migration in Africa and elsewhere. It invites funding and careful interpretation as scientists map how early humans diverged while expanding the tools we use to read the past.

Highlights

As methods evolve, the past keeps speaking through new kinds of evidence.