Although Oreopithecus bambolii is currently one of the best-represented fossil hominoids in Europe its phylogeny is still an issue. It evolved under insular conditions and its anatomy is mosaic of both hominid and primitive features. Moreover, the phylogeny of fauna associated with Oreopithecus is also not fully understood. Their phylogenetical relationships were previously only hypothesized based on morphological analysis. As insular species evolve under particular conditions and possess unique adaptations it is hard to reconstruct their phylogeny taking into account only anatomical features. Enamel proteins however offer the opportunity to answer the questions that morphological analysis cannot. Enamel, as a closed system and highly mineralized tissue, protects proteins from degradation. Proteins survive longer and are more abundant than ancient DNA. Protein sequences were in past successfully extracted from dental remains and used for phylogenetical reconstruction of species about 2 MY old. After proteins are extracted from dental remains mass spectrometry is used to identify short peptide sequences from a protein database. Phylogenetical reconstruction is based on detecting variations between identified protein sequences. Successful extraction of proteins from dental remains of Oreopithecus bambolii and OZF may help clarify the phylogenetical position of those species but also answer other questions related to fossilization processes and taphonomy.
Screening enamel proteins in late Miocene fossils may help in resolving debated phylogenetic relationships
Weronika Karolina Cieszynska
2022-01-01
Abstract
Although Oreopithecus bambolii is currently one of the best-represented fossil hominoids in Europe its phylogeny is still an issue. It evolved under insular conditions and its anatomy is mosaic of both hominid and primitive features. Moreover, the phylogeny of fauna associated with Oreopithecus is also not fully understood. Their phylogenetical relationships were previously only hypothesized based on morphological analysis. As insular species evolve under particular conditions and possess unique adaptations it is hard to reconstruct their phylogeny taking into account only anatomical features. Enamel proteins however offer the opportunity to answer the questions that morphological analysis cannot. Enamel, as a closed system and highly mineralized tissue, protects proteins from degradation. Proteins survive longer and are more abundant than ancient DNA. Protein sequences were in past successfully extracted from dental remains and used for phylogenetical reconstruction of species about 2 MY old. After proteins are extracted from dental remains mass spectrometry is used to identify short peptide sequences from a protein database. Phylogenetical reconstruction is based on detecting variations between identified protein sequences. Successful extraction of proteins from dental remains of Oreopithecus bambolii and OZF may help clarify the phylogenetical position of those species but also answer other questions related to fossilization processes and taphonomy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
