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Thanks to Diljá for leading on this study! And to all funders (@erc.europa.eu, @leakeyfoundation.org, @villumfonden.bsky.social) for making the research possible.

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There's loads more in the paper, so check it out! (And more coming a little later, in another study😉).

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⚠️But, a human skeleton contains max 2 preserved petrous bones, if both are present. We advocate for conservative considerations when proposing the sampling of petrous bones for (deep-time) hominin phyloproteomics. Combined sampling of cortical and trabecular bone might provide similar insights.

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Out of the tested bone elements (femur, rib, parietal, petrous), the petrous bone stands out as providing access to the largest, phylogenetically most-informative proteome, with almost double the number of proteins and peptides identified.

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We also show that cartilage-related proteins are uniquely surviving in bones formed through endochondral ossification - initial skeletal ossification therefore shapes proteome composition even in samples from adult individuals.⌛

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🦴As in previous research, we show that cortical bone contains larger and better-preserved proteomes compared to the directly underlying trabecular bone. Previous research: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

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We therefore set out to explore which skeletal locations might be best-suited to address such research questions, in terms of protein preservation and in terms of protein composition. In addition, would differences between endochondral and intramembraneous ossification be detectable in adult bone?

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With increasing interest in conducting evolutionary and osteoarchaeological ancient protein research there is also an increasing demand for the sampling of archaeological human bone.

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🎉New publication! Ready for some post-Easter palaeoproteomics reading? Our work describing proteome composition variation in the archaeological skeletons of healthy adults, only a few centuries old, is out in JAS🥂! doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

EEA2025 @eea2025.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

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#FINS is using a multidisciplinary approach including dermal denticle analysis and proteomics to study #marineshagreen, which is a material made from the skins of sharks and rays, to explore historic elasmobranch exploitation in the early modern period #EEA2025 @rachelmwinter.bsky.social

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Welker Group @welkergroup.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Interested in #palaeoproteomics, #ZooMS and human evolution? We currently have a postdoctoral position and a research position open. Postdoc: jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabeli... Research assistant: jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabeli...

jobportal.ku.dk

Postdoc in Paleoproteomics

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ERC-StG MATRIX @matrixerc.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

New paper is out! We and welkergroup.bsky.social show that proteins from resin-impregnated sediment blocks can reveal faunal diversity at the microscale. We thank and congratulate all coauthors! #paleoproteomics #geoarchaeology erc.europa.eu icarehb.bsky.social academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...

academic.oup.com

New methods on the block: Taxonomic identification of archaeological bones in resin-embedded sediments through paleoproteomics

Abstract. The integration of biomolecular studies of past organisms with geoarchaeological studies can significantly improve our understanding of the relat

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Welker Group @welkergroup.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

Huge thanks and congratulations to all coauthors (including @zandraselina.bsky.social, @fridowelker.bsky.social, @veraaldeias.bsky.social) and funders (@erc.europa.eu, #msca_promise and many more) 🎉

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Welker Group @welkergroup.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

📣Paper alert📣 Is it possible to use #palaeoproteomics to identify the taxonomy of bone fragments in resin-embedded sediment blocks, enabling study of past faunal community composition at a microstratigraphic scale? 🦴🐮 🦌 We decided to test this, and the results are now out: doi.org/10.1093/pnas...

New methods on the block: Taxonomic identification of archaeological bones in resin-embedded sediments through paleoproteomics

Abstract. The integration of biomolecular studies of past organisms with geoarchaeological studies can significantly improve our understanding of the relat

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Zandra Fagernäs @zandraselina.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

And that's a wrap on Bone Diagenesis 2025! What a lovely conference, full of kind and brilliant scientists. Also the first time my talk has been so 🔥🔥🔥 it set off the fire alarm (I'm choosing to assume that was the reason) 😅

Me giving a talk, barely visible behind a giant podium. About five minutes later, the fire alarm went off, and we all had to go outside for a while. But hey, at least the audience were awake after that! Photo by Dorothea Mylopotamitaki.

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And @leireti.bsky.social will both be presenting a poster on Wednesday, as well as talking about "The sex(y)-ing part of enamel: estimating sex ratios in hunted ungulates from the Late Pleistocene" in the @paastacommunity.bsky.social pre-ISBA conference 🦌

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On Friday @vvillaislas.bsky.social will be presenting a poster on "Extended enamel database for hominin palaeoproteomic data analysis" 💻

On Friday @zandraselina.bsky.social will talk about "Optimization of dental enamel demineralization for palaeoproteomics" at 11:35 in the Methods IV session 🦷

On Thursday at 09:30 Ragnheiður Diljá Ásmundsdóttir will be talking about "Composition variations in archaeological human bone proteomes" in the Methods II session 🦴

PAASTA Community @paastacommunity.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

We have arrived in Turin for @isba11.bsky.social and are very excited for the week! Don't miss the following talks and posters from the Welker Group:

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Delighted to be bringing you the following PAASTA community-led paper outlining our recommendations for best practices and open science in palaeoproteomics! Congratulations to the authors and for anyone keen to read the paper, it can be found #OpenAccess here: doi.org/10.24072/pcj...

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Zandra Fagernäs @zandraselina.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

I very much enjoyed #SMBE2025 in Beijing - huge thanks to the organizers, and I look forward to seeing everyone in Copenhagen next year!

Photo of me giving a talk in a very fancy room! Photo taken by Viridiana Villa Islas.

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VVillaIslas @vvillaislas.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

My poster presentation, thanks to the photographers team #SMBE2025

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Welker Group @welkergroup.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

For the last six months, we've had Lucas Siero from Utrecht University visiting us for an internship, working on some #palaeoproteomics method development. It was a joy to have you join our group Lucas, and good luck with the rest of your studies!

Parts of the Welker Group taking a boat ride around the canals of Copenhagen, all looking very happy!

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Welker Group @welkergroup.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Come visit beautiful Copenhagen and enjoy this years AGPM meeting! Exciting mixture of interdisciplinary approaches to archaeozoology⬇️

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Adriana Leite @adrianaleite.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

It has truly been a pleasure to train and develop my PhD research on paleoproteomics about Iberia's Late Prehistory with @zandraselina.bsky.social and @welkergroup.bsky.social during my stay at Globe. Grateful for the collaborative spirit and all the inspiring discussions! See you all again soon!

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Welker Group @welkergroup.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

For the last six months, @adrianaleite.bsky.social has been visiting us from @icarehb.bsky.social. Thank you for this time Adriana, it has been a joy to have you in our group and we hope to see you again soon!

Parts of the group out enjoying some Copenhagen sun and iced tea!

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Ainsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Now that’s what I call scientific illustration

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The dog crossed the rainbow bridge (he was 15 years old), but his proteins live on forever now!

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Finally, the Contaminator may no longer be with us, but we are very grateful for his research efforts as well! He did get a nice snack as a reward for his contribution.

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Thank you also to our funders, the study would not have been possible without generous support from @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social, @erc.europa.eu, the MSCA and many others. #msca_promise

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This study was a great collaboration of a team from both Denmark and Tajikistan - huge thanks to all coauthors, including @zandraselina.bsky.social, @vvillaislas.bsky.social, @jespervolsen.bsky.social, @mikkelwp.bsky.social and @fridowelker.bsky.social 🎉

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Finally, we set out to answer the major question about the Khudji tooth - who did it belong to? The reconstructed sequences indicate that it is not a Denisovan, and is unlikely a modern human. That means it's most likely a Neanderthal - but direct molecular evidence is still needed in the future.

Phylogenetic tree showing that the Khudji individual falls among Neanderthals.

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Also here, the bleach decontamination approach was very successful, as the vast majority of human skin proteins were removed, and the endogenous dentine proteins were left unharmed.

Figure showing that proteins and peptides from skin were almost entirely removed after bleach decontamination.

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We then applied the bleach decontamination to a Pleistocene hominin tooth from Khudji, Tajikistan, which was previously found to be heavily contaminated with human skin proteins, likely from the decades of handling since its discovery in 1997.

A map showing the location of the archaeological site of Khudji, and a photo of the analysed juvenile incisor.

We found that while most decontamination methods had variable success, one of them removed virtually all contamination, without causing any damage to the endogenous horse proteins - a brief wash with bleach (sodium hypochlorite).

Two figures showing the abundance of the proteine lactotransferrin (LTF), a common salivary protein, in the samples after the decontamination methods. Only bleach decontamination removed all of it.

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First, we found that decontamination is really necessary, as the reconstructed horse proteome was altered after contamination, even when we did not take the dog contamination into consideration in our analyses. Additionally, low-abundance proteins and protein regions were lost after contamination!

PCA showing clear separation between original and contaminated samples. Note that this was only based on the horse proteome, we did not include the dog proteome in this search!

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We then used five previously published methods for decontamination: Bleach, HCl, EDTA, water and UV irradiation, and compared them to uncontaminated (original) and non-decontaminated samples of the same bone.

To solve this problem, we enlisted the help of our office dog, Tjorven. He used his research expertise to contaminate a Pleistocene Equus sp. bone with saliva, skin, and fur, to approximate years of contamination with a complex proteome, which easily absorbed to the bone.

A small brown dog, looking a bit wonky, posing next to a gloved hand holding a bone fragment. Don't worry, the dog was fine, he just generally looked a bit wonky at the age of 15! Photo credit: Ragnheiður Diljá Ásmundsdóttir

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Archaeological materials have often accumulated contamination from a range of sources, such as the burial ground, handling and storage. But how do we remove this contamination prior to #palaeoproteomics analysis, without damaging the endogenous proteins? And do we need to remove it? 🏺

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New publication! 🎉 Here you can read all about dog drool, bleach, and a probable Central Asian Neanderthal child: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

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Diljá's PhD has been made possible by the @erc.europa.eu Starting Grant "PROSPER" as well as additional funding by the @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social, and of course many collaborators!

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Further exciting manuscripts are in preparation, covering a range of tissues, locations, and chronological ages. It is only with this type of knowledge that we can start to make ethical, evidence-based sample requests for the analysis of archaeological and palaeontological specimens.

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For example, the research has shown that cortical bone preserves larger, less degraded proteins compared to trabecular bone samples from the same specimens: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...

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Diljá's research provides proteomic insights into composition variation in the human skeleton, as well as its preservation over archaeological timescales.

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