2.2-Million-Year-Old Teeth Proteins Reveal Ancient Sex Mix-Up

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Scientists extracted proteins from 2.2-million-year-old teeth, changing what we know about our ancient relatives.

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Dental enamel preserved proteins for millions of years where DNA couldn't survive the hot African climate.

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Four teeth from Paranthropus robustus revealed something scientists never knew before - their biological sex

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The new technique called "paleoproteomics" identified two males and two females among the ancient teeth.

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One surprising finding? A specimen with smaller teeth turned out to be male, challenging what scientists assumed for decades.

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What happens when tooth size can't tell you if a fossil was male or female? Scientists found a protein that can.

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The analysis also found unexpected genetic diversity, suggesting multiple Paranthropus species may have existed.

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These ancient relatives lived alongside early human species between 1.8 and 2.2 million years ago in South Africa.

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African and European scientists worked together on this breakthrough, emphasizing the importance of local collaboration.

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The future? Scientists hope to map the entire human family tree using these protein techniques.

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