Palaeoproteomic insights into the evolutionary history of cave bears from southwestern Europe
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Dental enamel proteomics provides access to molecular information from time periods far beyond the reach of ancient DNA, offering a powerful means to investigate evolutionary dynamics in deep time. Here we present the first large-scale enamel proteomic dataset for 55 cave bears to date, analysing fossils spanning the Early to Late Pleistocene across southwestern Europe, including key specimens from Atapuerca sites. Using a non-enzymatic demineralization workflow and LC-MS/MS analysis we consistently recovered rich enamel proteomes and identified taxonomically informative peptides alongside two previously unknown amino acid variations in AMBN-249 and SERPINA1-341 positions. Phylogenetic analyses are consistent with a basal position of Ursus dolinensis within the speleoid clade, providing new molecular evidence relevant to its debated taxonomy. Together, these findings show that enamel proteomes preserve phylogenetic structure and lineage-specific molecular signals, highlighting the potential of palaeoproteomics to inform evolutionary relationships within the speleoid clade across the Pleistocene.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Amanda Gutiérrez-Carbajal, Elena Santos, Esther Lizano, Tomas Marques-Bonet, Ricardo Fong-Zazueta, Aurora Grandal-d’Anglade, David M. Alba, Ana García-Vázquez, Asier Gómez-Olivencia, Mónica Villalba de Alvarado, Luca Pandolfi, Lorenzo Rook, Montserrat Sanz, Joan Daura, João Zilhão, Juan Luis Arsuaga, José María Bermúdez de Castro, María Martinón-Torres
Institutions: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, HM Hospitales, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, Université de Montréal, Universidade da Coruña, University of Bucharest, University of the Basque Country, Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, University of Pisa, University of Florence, University of Lisbon, Centro de Arqueologia, Universitat de Barcelona, University College London
Language: English
Subfield: Paleontology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
Funders: Leakey Foundation, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Centres de Recerca de Catalunya, European Commission, Generalitat de Catalunya, Eusko Jaurlaritza, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Junta de Castilla y León, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Awards: G1003655740, G1044684712, G1105844351, G1107487004, G1175115578, G121809054, G1338257350, G1401168639, G1416831901, G143639328, G1455481585, G1553103486, G1561925909, G1622782223, Palaeoproteomics to Unleash Studies on Human History, G1855990336, G1938719665, G2064873908, G210041235, G2142609196, G2161408835, G2262748287, G2309174360, G2390397592, G24120701, G2462415295, G2498818229, G252646220, G2585926585, G2601397997, G265940806, G2660406951, G279363373, G294895050, G3005324705, G300979063, G308504231, G3166424744, G3428307696, G34346518, G3480869486, G3518538256, G3546882995, G366623013, G3681454997, G3881938219, G4033406476, G4042783231, G410571670, G4228227490, G425668148, G430777504, G4442677895, G451917667, G4526231891, G491712853, G5080475149, G5195188938, G523076202, G5234477572, G5262952806, G5385376234, G5404395142, G5421974903, G5539308778, G5635532810, G586857820, G593054264, G5943232429, G5967599077, G6033112984, G624877701, G6656126374, G6874468849, G69051668, G7084143925, G717256432, G7330179772, G7391727506, G7395345766, G7434936867, G7468385506, G7678727702, G7805626310, G7863371703, G787121397, G796123147, G827717562, G8347645112, G8389516595, G846842501, G8497050386, G8522095481, G8575141037, G8637226926, G8667377315, G897484643, G99296377
OpenAlex ID: W7165802750