The analysis of proteins preserved in archaeological contexts is a rapidly developing area of archaeological science, and has been valuable for revealing insights into animal-human relationships in the past. One such development is the identification of a sex-discriminating protein amelogenin. Preserved in tooth enamel, the protein amelogenin in some Eutherian mammals occurs as x- or y-isoforms (from genes located on the x and y chromosome), enabling the identification of biological sex in fossil teeth, and therefore has vast potential for examining sex-based population patterns. Primarily, this technique has been applied to humans, but is increasingly being applied to other fauna. This PhD will advance this area of research to further understand sex selection of fauna in hunter-gatherer societies. Particularly, this PhD will explore sex selection of deer species, which are a vital part of the subsistence economy in northern Europe, investigating the extent to which past people deliberately targeted particular animals based on sex, due to preferential hunting practices or even cultural factors. This data will then be examined in the context of changing environmental conditions of the early Holocene.
Plus d’informations :
[Website University of York]