PROTEOMIC ANALYSIS OF EXTINCT SPECIES TO VALIDATE EVOLUTIONARY LINKS

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Researchers (Asara et. al., Science 2007) have started using mass spectrometry to identify proteins from fossils that have been preserved in extinct species such as T. rex and mastodon to provide evolutionary links with extant species. These recent studies have identified collagen proteins and a hemoglobin protein that contain peptide sequences that match to multiple different extant taxa. There is much controversy on whether these identified peptides sequences are valid or artifacts of contamination. We are currently analyzing six fossilized dinosaur bone samples, three sediment samples and a bone sample from the femur of a cave bear to see what proteins we can detect using our sample preparation and mass spectrometry methods.