Ancient proteins could transform palaeontology

ANCIENT PROTEINS nestled in fossils contain troves of information about long-dead creatures. However, like all ancient molecules, proteins degrade. Until recently the oldest proteins recovered for reliable, in-depth analysis were around 4m years old. But two separate studies published in Nature on July 9th, one by researchers at Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institute and another led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, have recovered ancient proteins, some of which could be up to 29m years old. The discoveries should help palaeontologists investigate the behaviour, diet and evolution of animals long thought too old to be studied with molecular tools.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Buried treasure”