Archaeological Analysis of Animal Remains Through Mass Spectrometry
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have identified a bone fragment found at Denisova Cave in Siberia as belonging to a Neanderthal individual, using the innovative Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) technique. The bone, estimated to be approximately 80,000 years old, was discovered after analyzing 2,513 bones from the cave.
The ZooMS technique, developed by Michael Buckley at Manchester University, utilizes matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry to analyze the collagen fingerprint of bone specimens. This allows for species identification even when morphological features are not sufficient or the fragment is highly degraded.
In the case of the Denisova Cave discovery, ZooMS helped distinguish the bone fragment from potential Denisovan or modern human remains, providing a non-destructive way to identify hominin remains in complex archaeological contexts. The molecular identification complements genetic analyses and offers valuable insights into the relationships and population histories of Neanderthals.
The research, led by Professor Tom Higham from the University of Oxford and PhD student Samantha Brown, was published in Scientific Reports in 2016. The team's findings could potentially lead to the sequencing of another Neanderthal genome, shedding light on our ancestors' past.
The mitochondrial DNA analysis of the bone fragment indicates a high likelihood that it belongs to a Neanderthal. However, the bone fragment, which is only 2.5 centimeters in size, is currently unidentifiable due to its small size and fragmentation.
The research team acknowledges the contributions of several other researchers, and images of Samantha Brown in the lab, a bag of bone fragments from Denisova Cave, and a hominin bone fragment image are courtesy of Samantha Brown and Professor Tom Higham. For more information, readers are encouraged to read the paper "Identification of a new hominin bone from Denisova Cave, Siberia using collagen fingerprinting and mitochondrial DNA analysis," with the doi 10.1038/srep23559.
In addition to identifying Neanderthal remains, ZooMS is also used to identify different species based on their unique protein sequences found in animal bones. The technique has been instrumental in recent paleogenetic and archaeological studies, including the identification and differentiation of hominin fossils from Denisova Cave.
Professor Tom Higham is a Professor of Archaeological Science and Deputy Director of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, while Samantha Brown is a PhD student working in Oxford. The team's work at Denisova Cave continues to contribute to our understanding of human evolution and the diversity of our ancestors.
The ZooMS technique, utilized in the Denisova Cave discovery, not only aids in identifying Neanderthal remains but also helps differentiate various species based on their unique protein sequences found in animal bones. This approach is crucial in the field of health-and-wellness, particularly in the study of medical-conditions and genetic predispositions among ancient species, including space-and-astronomy's interest in understanding the origins and evolution of early hominins.
