Decoded in Africa: A Fossil Find That Changes Everything

In a scientific breakthrough, African researchers have successfully decoded proteins from fossilized teeth estimated to be 2 million years old, revealing new details about our early human relatives.

Using a pioneering method called palaeoproteomics, the team extracted enamel proteins from the teeth of Paranthropus robustus, an extinct hominin species that coexisted with early humans in southern Africa.

The fossils were discovered at South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind, the richest hominin fossil site in the world. These ancient proteins allowed scientists to determine biological traits like sex and shed light on the genetic diversity of early hominins.

This marks the first time such deep genetic insights have been gathered from remains older than 20,000 years in Africa.

Beyond the science, the study also highlights a shift in leadership in the field, with African scientists playing a central role in decoding the continent’s ancient past.