Scientists amazed by what they found in 24-million-year-old rhino tooth
Proteins preserved in the fossil’s enamel unlock secrets far older than DNA, offering new insight into ancient life.
The discovery of a 24-million-year-old rhino tooth in the Canadian Arctic has yielded the oldest detailed protein sequence ever recovered. The proteins survived 10 times longer than the oldest known DNA, astonishing scientists and breaking new ground in the study of ancient life.
The “mystery” that roamed the Arctic
The tooth came from a “mystery” rhinoceros that roamed the Arctic during the Oligocene epoch. Analysis showed it belonged to a branch of the rhino family that split from modern rhinos’ ancestors between 41 and 25 million years ago.
“There were some crazy forms of rhinoceros species,” said Ryan Sinclair Paterson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen’s Globe Institute, who led the study, published in scientific journal Nature. “There’s the woolly rhinoceros, and maybe you’ve heard of the Siberian unicorn with the gigantic horn.”
Why proteins matter
Ancient proteins are more durable than DNA, allowing scientists to peer far deeper into the past. They can reveal evolutionary relationships, diets, and even the sex of a specimen. Paterson explained that the tooth’s enamel acted as “a vault” preserving proteins over millions of years. “What we did was unlock this vault, at least for this specific fossil.”
Study coauthor Enrico Cappellini called the work a proof of concept with the potential to extend research to much older fossils, perhaps even dinosaurs.
Scientific community excited, but cautious
The findings have generated excitement among researchers, though some independent experts urge caution until results are replicated.
“This is amazing. It’s really exciting, but at the same time I’ve been disappointed so much in my career by thinking that we had very old proteins and we didn’t,” said Matthew Collins, the McDonald Professor in Palaeoproteomics at the University of Cambridge, who has tried unsuccessfully to recover proteins from dinosaur fossils.
Proteins could rewrite evolutionary histories
The breakthrough suggests similar techniques could be applied to fossils worldwide, even in warm climates once thought too hostile for protein preservation. While recovering dinosaur proteins remains uncertain, some scientists believe it could be possible within a decade.
In the meantime, the discovery opens the door to rewriting the evolutionary histories of many ancient mammals.
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