Peptide analysis of tooth enamel can identify the sex of children and infants
In short: Researchers studying archaeological remains found that analyzing peptides in tooth enamel can reveal the sex of nonadults. By examining the protein amelogenin in 43 teeth from 29 individuals, the team successfully determined the sex of 28 people, ranging from newborns to 19-year-olds.
This method uses a minimally destructive acid etching process and mass spectrometry to identify sex-linked protein isoforms. It is notably more inexpensive than ancient DNA testing.
The study was limited to a specific sample of 29 individuals from four English archaeological sites, and one sample failed because the enamel was not sufficiently mineralized.
Why it matters: This inexpensive, minimally destructive method provides a new way to study the sex of children and infants in bioarchaeology.
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