RT Journal Article
T1 Sex assessment in a hominin upper second molar (RV’23-350) from the Ruidera (Spain) Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropological site: a proteome-based analysis of the amelogenin
A1 García Martínez, Daniel
A1 Sanz Henche, Paula
A1 Zapico Megido, Inés
A1 Clemente Velarde, Luis Felipe
A1 Hernáez Sánchez, María Luisa
A1 Ríos, Luis
A1 Casquero Muñoz, Mar
A1 Buenestado Ruíz, Candelas
A1 Fidalgo Casares, Darío
A1 Díaz Pérez, Sara
A1 Campaña Lozano, Isidoro
A1 Bermejo Albarrán, Lucía
A1 Torres Medina, Tomás
A1 Palancar, Carlos A.
AB Sex determination in fossil hominin remains is often challenging due to the fragmentary nature of the record and the limitations of morphological assessments. In this study, we apply a proteomic approach to assess the sex of an upper second molar (RV’23-350) from the Middle Pleistocene site of Ruidera (Spain). By analyzing the presence of amelogenin, a key enamel protein encoded by genes on both the X and Y chromosomes, we provide molecular evidence supporting the classification of this fossil as belonging to a male individual. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first application of amelogenin-based sex estimation in European Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth. Our findings have significant implications for understanding hominin demographic structures and population dynamics in the Iberian Peninsula during this period. The ability to integrate proteomic analyses with traditional morphological approaches offers a novel and reliable methodology for paleoanthropological investigations, particularly in cases where skeletal preservation is insufficient for standard osteological assessments. This study highlights the potential of ancient protein analysis in refining taxonomic and biological reconstructions, further enhancing our knowledge of human evolution and variability in the Middle Pleistocene.
PB Elsevier
SN 1040-6182
YR 2026
FD 2026-04-01
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133919
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133919
LA eng
NO García-Martínez, D., Sanz-Henche, P., Zapico, I., Clemente, L. F., Hernáez, M. L., Ríos, L., Casquero, M., Buenestado Ruíz, C., Fidalgo, D., Díaz-Pérez, S., Campaña Lozano, I., Bermejo, L., Torres-Medina, T., & Palancar, C. A. (2026). Sex assessment in a hominin upper second molar (RV’23-350) from the Ruidera (Spain) Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropological site: A proteome-based analysis of the amelogenin. Quaternary International, 760, 110182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110182
NO Universidad Complutense de Madrid
NO Leakey Foundation
NO Fundación PALARQ
DS Docta Complutense
RD 12 mar 2026