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Oldest Fossil Protein Sequenced [from Neanderthal]
Max Planck Society ^ | 08 March 2005 | Staff

Posted on 03/15/2005 7:20:27 AM PST by PatrickHenry

An international team, led by researchers at the Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, in Leipzig, Germany, have extracted and sequenced protein from a Neanderthal from Shanidar Cave, Iraq dating to approximately 75,000 years old. It is rare to recover protein of this age, and remarkable to be able to determine the constituent amino acid sequence. This is the oldest fossil protein ever sequenced. Protein sequences may be used in a similar way to DNA, to provide information on the genetic relationships between extinct and living species. As ancient DNA rarely survives, this new method opens up the possibility of determining these relationships in much older fossils which no longer contain DNA (PNAS Online Early Edition, March 8, 2005).

The research, published in PNAS, presents the sequence for the bone protein osteocalcin from a Neanderthal from Shanidar Cave, Iraq, as well as osteocalcin sequences from living primates (humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans). The team found that the Neanderthal sequence was the same as modern humans. In addition, the team found a marked difference in the sequences of Neanderthals, human, chimpanzee and orangutan from that of gorillas, and most other mammals. This sequence difference is at position nine, where the crystalline amino acid hydroxyproline is replaced by proline (an amino acid that is found in many proteins). The authors suggest that this is a dietary response, as the formation of hydroxyproline requires vitamin C, which is ample in the diets of herbivores like gorillas, but may be absent from the diets of the omnivorous primates such as humans and Neanderthals, orangutans and chimpanzees. Therefore, the ability to form proteins without the presence of vitamin C may have been an advantage to these primates if this nutrient was missing from the diets regularly, or from time to time.


The skull of the 75,000 year old Neanderthal from the Shanidar cave in Iraq.

This research opens up the exciting possibility of extracting and sequencing protein from other fossils, including earlier humans, as a means of determining the relationships between extinct and living species, and to better understand the phylogenetic relationships.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: archaeology; crevolist; dna; evolution; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; history; neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals
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To: VadeRetro

> You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools.

Ouch. That's just nasty.

Mind if I use it?


81 posted on 03/15/2005 11:58:08 AM PST by orionblamblam
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To: VadeRetro

That there are similarities between humans and the chimp doesn't prove that one evolved from the other, or that both evolved from a common ancestor. That is equally applicable to common design.

And as far as the 29 so called evidences, some are clear evidence against evolution when you stop and think about then and many are equally applicable to common design as to common descent.



82 posted on 03/15/2005 12:00:26 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: orionblamblam
If only more people would listen to *these* guys...

I've never listened to Teller ;-)
83 posted on 03/15/2005 12:11:21 PM PST by AdmSmith
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To: AdmSmith

You haven't? I have. He's a smart guy. Watch some of the extras on the Season 1 DVD. Also saw him on more than one documentary over the years.

Even so, there's far more wisdom in his silence than in a thousand pages of IDiot bleat. His demonstration of the Creationist arguement at the beginning of that episode in Season One is one of the most accurate and funniest things I've ever seen.


84 posted on 03/15/2005 12:16:28 PM PST by orionblamblam
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To: orionblamblam
Mind if I use it?

Cool! Just don't use it on me.

85 posted on 03/15/2005 12:48:11 PM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: <1/1,000,000th%
Wow!!!! I like this guys stuff. Really flys in the face of the old theories and he has the objective research to back it up. Interesting that they can duplicate this in the laboratory time and time again with expected results and evolutionists only have theories and no mechanism that can be proved in a laboratory, not to mention even consistently.
86 posted on 03/15/2005 12:48:43 PM PST by clearsight
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To: VadeRetro

Thanks! Let's see if it fits in the tagline...


87 posted on 03/15/2005 12:50:30 PM PST by orionblamblam ("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
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To: VadeRetro

Thanks! Let's see if it fits in the tagline...


88 posted on 03/15/2005 12:50:37 PM PST by orionblamblam ("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
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To: clearsight

"There is just to much conflicting science out there to accept that the earth is millions and millions of years old."

That's for sure. It's only 51 years old, because that's how old I am and i can't remember anything older than that.


89 posted on 03/15/2005 1:00:09 PM PST by FastCoyote
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To: orionblamblam

Now I'm gonna hear it!


90 posted on 03/15/2005 1:01:43 PM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: orionblamblam

Not to worry, I just tried a joke ;-)

P&T are as well members http://www.the-brights.net/enthusiastic_brights_4.htm


91 posted on 03/15/2005 1:08:33 PM PST by AdmSmith
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To: clearsight
Really flys in the face of the old theories and he has the objective research to back it up.

He's got an interesting idea, but I think he's still got work to do to make his case. His misunderstanding of the current theory of how crude oil is formed should be cleaned up or he'll keep chasing away the audience. Plus he can't use calcium carbonate in his simulations of inorganic processes because calcium carbonate is a result of organic processes. But who knows. Maybe he's on to something.

92 posted on 03/15/2005 1:08:50 PM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: VadeRetro

It's one of the better put-downs I've seen. Sadly, those who it would get used on either wouldn't recognized that they're being insulted, or they'd take it as a badge of honor.

Unfortunately, the date won't fit in the tagline...


93 posted on 03/15/2005 1:09:47 PM PST by orionblamblam ("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
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To: AdmSmith

"Brights." Bleah. I've always disliked that handle. Too "cutesy."


94 posted on 03/15/2005 1:11:17 PM PST by orionblamblam ("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
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To: FastCoyote

Great come back Ha.....Haaaa


95 posted on 03/15/2005 1:55:18 PM PST by clearsight
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To: orionblamblam

Cool picture...where is it from or what????


96 posted on 03/15/2005 2:15:44 PM PST by clearsight
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To: clearsight

From the movie "The Core." Another glistening example of scientific ignorance getting paid lots and lots of money to help dumb down the public. In this particular shot, a stunning lack of understanding of the Earth's magnetic field is used to show horrible and incredibly unlikely things occuring. Durign this and other scenes of devastation early in the movie, I was the only one in the theater laughing out loud. Which was sad.


97 posted on 03/15/2005 2:20:55 PM PST by orionblamblam ("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
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To: orionblamblam
"Magnetic fields in and of themselves do not effect organic systems much at all."
Obviously you haven't been reading all that you say you have or you missed something or simply forgot.
The lack of, or over abundance of magnetic fields, do in fact severely effect biological systems. Go read of the effects of long space flight on the astronauts. It is quite sobering and daunting. Use the internet and do a search. The information is out there just go read it.
98 posted on 03/15/2005 2:32:40 PM PST by clearsight
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To: clearsight

> The lack of, or over abundance of magnetic fields, do in fact severely effect biological systems. Go read of the effects of long space flight on the astronauts.

I invite you to read AND comprehend: "Magnetic fields in and of themselves do not effect organic systems much at all."

The biological effects of long space flight on the human body have nothing directly to do with magnetic fields. What effects the human body the most are the detrimental effects of microgravity, where blood circulation to the legs is reduced, muscles atrophy and bones degenerate. Outside of the Earth's magnetosphere, additional effects are noted due to radiation that would otherwise be re-directed... but these effects are not directly related to the magnetic field, anymore than getting gut-shot is due to body armor.

> Use the internet and do a search.

Don't need to. It's my field, sonny.


99 posted on 03/15/2005 2:42:34 PM PST by orionblamblam ("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
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To: orionblamblam

You have humbly informed us of you credentials......sonny
but where from......of what........for whom????


100 posted on 03/15/2005 2:48:36 PM PST by clearsight
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