Project description
Palaeoproteomics for hominid evolution
A few decades ago, ancient DNA sequencing revolutionised research on the evolution and migration of archaic humans. More recent advances in palaeoproteomics (mass spectrometry-based ancient protein sequencing) combined with bioinformatic solutions have enabled similar progress in knowledge from molecular-based evolutionary reconstructions for species that became extinct millions of years ago. The EU-funded BACKWARD project aims to tackle the long-debated phylogenetic reconstruction of African and Asian hominins by developing and deploying a new generation of palaeoproteomic workflows. It will use state-of-the-art mass spectrometry and bioinformatics to address the phylogenetic relationships between South African early hominins and the hominid palaeobiodiversity in Southeast Asia. The project will bring substantial advances in palaeoanthropology, palaeontology, palaeoecology and archaeology.
Objective
BACKWARD will address major unsettled debates about African and Asian extinct hominid phylogeny, by developing and deploying a new generation of palaeoproteomic workflows, relying on the most advanced mass spectrometry and bioinformatic solutions currently available. Ancient DNA (aDNA) sequencing revolutionised our knowledge on evolution, migration and admixture of archaic and anatomically modern humans. However, no hominid aDNA older than ~0.4 million years has been retrieved yet. Ancient proteins instead survive much longer than aDNA, enabling molecular-based phylogeny beyond the limits of aDNA degradation. Recently, mass spectrometry (MS)-based ancient protein sequencing, i.e. palaeoproteomics, convincingly demonstrated its transformative value, enabling molecular-based evolutionary reconstructions for species that went extinct millions of years ago. BACKWARD will use palaeoproteomics to address: (i) the phylogenetic relationships among South African early hominins, and (ii) the hominid palaeobiodiversity in Southeast Asia; two topics debated for generations, and further complicated by recent finds. This knowledge will also provide the evolutionary scaffolding needed to correctly identify and correlate the series of processes that defined human brain expansion and reorganization. BACKWARD will also screen large sets of morphologically non-informative isolated fossil fragments of bones and teeth, to identify the species and sex of the organism from which they originated. Some of these solutions will be commercially re-purposed to deliver superior performance in public and private analytic laboratories for diagnostics in forensic medicine, and in the food or pharmaceutical industry. As a key BACKWARD feature, the unique contribution provided by each participating institution will be integrated in a strong partnership to transform palaeoanthropology, palaeontology, palaeoecology and archaeology once again, as aDNA did over the last twenty years.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological morphologycomparative morphology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNA
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencespalaeontologypaleoecology
- natural scienceschemical sciencesanalytical chemistrymass spectrometry
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-ADG - Advanced GrantHost institution
1165 Kobenhavn
Denmark