Latest news with #Paranthropus
IOL News
4 days ago
- Science
- IOL News
Groundbreaking study reveals biological sex and genetic diversity in Paranthropus robustus
Dr Palesa Madupe, Dr Claire Koenig and Dr Ioannis Patramanis. Image: Victor Yan Kin Lee Researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Copenhagen have achieved a scientific first by using 2-million-year-old protein traces to determine the biological sex and uncover previously hidden genetic variation in Paranthropus robustus, an extinct close relative of modern humans. Published in the journal Science, the research analysed ancient proteins extracted from fossilised teeth discovered in South Africa's Cradle of Humankind. The remarkable discovery represents some of the oldest human genetic data ever recovered from Africa and challenges established understandings of this early hominin. The study's co-lead, Dr Palesa Madupe, a research associate at UCT's Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute, is part of a powerful African cohort transforming palaeoanthropology from within. "Because we can sample multiple African Pleistocene hominin individuals classified within the same group, we're now able to observe not just biological sex, but for the first time genetic differences that might have existed among them," said Madupe. UCT's HERI played a central role in the research, with co-director Professor Rebecca Ackermann as a senior author, and contributions from co-director Robyn Pickering and multiple HERI research associates. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The team used cutting-edge palaeoproteomic techniques and mass spectrometry to identify sex-specific variants of amelogenin, a protein found in tooth enamel. Two of the ancient individuals were conclusively male; the others, inferred through novel quantitative methods, were female. Paper co-lead and postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Claire Koenig, explained: 'Enamel is extremely valuable because it provides information about both biological sex and evolutionary relationships. However, since identifying females relies on the absence of specific protein variants, it is crucial to rigorously control our methods to ensure confident results.' The university explained that unexpectedly, another enamel protein – enamelin, revealed genetic diversity among the four individuals. Two shared a particular variant, a third had a distinct one, and a fourth displayed both. Co-lead and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute Ioannis Patramanis said while studying proteins, specific mutations are thought to be characteristic of a species. 'We were thus quite surprised to discover that what we initially thought was a mutation uniquely describing Paranthropus robustus was actually variable within that group,' said Patramanis. The university added that this revelation forces a rethink of how ancient hominin species are identified, showing genetic variation, not just skeletal traits, must be considered in understanding their complexity. According to the researchers, Paranthropus lived in Africa between 2.8 and 1.2 million years ago, walking upright and likely coexisting with early members of Homo. Though on a different evolutionary path, its story remains central to understanding human origins. Madupe added that this study not only advances palaeoproteomics in Africa, but also highlights the vital role of African scholars in rewriting human history. 'As a young African researcher, I'm honoured to have significantly contributed to such a high-impact publication as its co-lead. But it's not lost on me that people of colour have a long journey to go before it becomes commonplace more of us need to be leading research like this,' said Madupe. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Ackermann detailed that HERI was actively leading that shift and the institute launched programmes introducing palaeoproteomic techniques to a new generation of African scientists and is expanding training across the continent. 'We are excited about the capacity building that has come out of this collaboration. The future of African-led palaeoanthropology research is bright,' Ackerman said. Cape Argus
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Strange 1.4 million-year-old fossil traced to previously unknown human relative 'nutcracker man'
A 1.4-million-year-old fossil jaw discovered in a South African cave in 1949 has now been identified as that of a previously unknown human relative species dubbed the 'nutcracker man'. Researchers have believed since the 1960s that the fossil jaw, unearthed at the Swartkrans archaeological site, belonged to an early human species called Homo ergaster. But new X-ray scans of the jaw and other fossils found at the site have helped create virtual 3D models that offer a better understanding of the internal and external structures of the extinct species. The new findings, detailed in a study published in the Journal of Human Evolution, have led researchers to conclude that the jaw doesn't in fact belong to H ergaster. It comes from a new species of the genus Paranthropus, nicknamed the 'nutcracker man' due to the fossil's massive size and huge molar teeth. The researchers specifically assessed the fossil's dentine – the hard, dense, bony tissue that forms the bulk of a tooth below the enamel – and then compared it with those of other human relatives. They found the fossil's teeth features differed from previously discovered specimens of the genus known as P aethiopicus, P boisei and P robustus. 'Altogether, the results show that SK 15 unambiguously falls outside the variation of H ergaster and that it's most compatible with the morphology of Paranthropus,' the researchers wrote in the study. They categorised the fossil as belonging to a newfound species, which they named P capensis. 'We tentatively attribute SK 15 to Paranthropus capensis, a more gracile species of Paranthropus than the other three currently recognized species of this genus,' they said. The newly discovered species 'very likely' split from P robustus over 2 million years ago. This means at least two Paranthropus species – P robustus and P capensis – may have coexisted in the South African region 1.4 million years ago, likely inhabiting different ecological niches with varying diets. The researchers called for further testing of preserved specimens of the genus Paranthropus to look for P capensis fossils mixed with them. 'The presence of other P. capensis specimens mixed among the current hypodigm of P robustus should be tested further, in particular by revising the fossil assemblages from Swartkrans,' they said.
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Strange 1.4 million-year-old fossil traced to previously unknown human relative 'nutcracker man‘
A 1.4-million-year-old fossil jaw discovered in a South African cave in 1949 has now been identified as that of a previously unknown human relative species dubbed the 'nutcracker man'. Researchers have believed since the 1960s that the fossil jaw, unearthed at the Swartkrans archaeological site, belonged to an early human species called Homo ergaster. But new X-ray scans of the jaw and other fossils found at the site have helped create virtual 3D models that offer a better understanding of the internal and external structures of the extinct species. The new findings, detailed in a study published in the Journal of Human Evolution, have led researchers to conclude that the jaw doesn't in fact belong to H ergaster. It comes from a new species of the genus Paranthropus, nicknamed the 'nutcracker man' due to the fossil's massive size and huge molar teeth. The researchers specifically assessed the fossil's dentine – the hard, dense, bony tissue that forms the bulk of a tooth below the enamel – and then compared it with those of other human relatives. They found the fossil's teeth features differed from previously discovered specimens of the genus known as P aethiopicus, P boisei and P robustus. 'Altogether, the results show that SK 15 unambiguously falls outside the variation of H ergaster and that it's most compatible with the morphology of Paranthropus,' the researchers wrote in the study. They categorised the fossil as belonging to a newfound species, which they named P capensis. 'We tentatively attribute SK 15 to Paranthropus capensis, a more gracile species of Paranthropus than the other three currently recognized species of this genus,' they said. The newly discovered species 'very likely' split from P robustus over 2 million years ago. This means at least two Paranthropus species – P robustus and P capensis – may have coexisted in the South African region 1.4 million years ago, likely inhabiting different ecological niches with varying diets. The researchers called for further testing of preserved specimens of the genus Paranthropus to look for P capensis fossils mixed with them. 'The presence of other P. capensis specimens mixed among the current hypodigm of P robustus should be tested further, in particular by revising the fossil assemblages from Swartkrans,' they said.
