Sex assessment in a hominin upper second molar (RV-350) from the "Ruidera-Los Villares" Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropological site: a proteome-based analysis of the amelogenin

Abstract

Estimating sex in fossil human remains is crucial for understanding ancient populations' evolutionary anatomy, demographic structure, social behaviors, and evolutionary dynamics. Traditionally, this estimation combined morphological and metric analyses, leveraging features like pelvic and skull characteristics for sexual dimorphism assessment [1]. Modern advancements in technology, such as CT scanning and 3D imaging, have greatly improved accuracy by enabling precise virtual reconstructions and measurements of skeletal features. These methods enhance our ability to reconstruct evolutionary narratives and gain insights into biological diversity in human fossils, contributing significantly to our understanding of human evolution. Molecular analyses, particularly proteomic analysis focusing on the amelogenin protein in dental enamel, have become essential in sex estimation for fossil specimens [2]. Amelogenin, a sexually dimorphic protein encoded by genes on the X and Y chromosomes, can be analyzed using mass spectrometry and proteomic techniques from preserved enamel peptides. This method offers advantages in cases where traditional methods are inconclusive due to fragmentary remains, providing direct molecular evidence of biological sex without damaging samples. Proteomic analysis of amelogenin has been successfully used in paleoanthropological studies, enhancing our understanding of ancient populations' sex composition alongside traditional methods.