送交者: JZ 于 2005-3-24, 16:45:13:
From Science:
Timeless. A bone protein recovered from a 75,000 year-old Neanderthal fossil is the oldest ever to have its amino acid sequence unraveled, according to a report in the 7 March online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The protein, called osteocalcin, is identical to the one found in modern humans, and is also present in chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. However, the osteocalcin in humans, chimps, and orangutans contains a slightly different sequence from that of the gorilla—a change that may have helped the others adapt to a carnivorous lifestyle.