Welker Group
We study human evolution across the last one million years, through ancient proteins and associated biomolecules in skeletal remains. PI @fridowelker.bsky.social.
- Reposted by Welker Group#FINS is using a multidisciplinary approach including dermal denticle analysis and proteomics to study #marineshagreen, which is a material made from the skins of sharks and rays, to explore historic elasmobranch exploitation in the early modern period #EEA2025 @rachelmwinter.bsky.social
- Interested in #palaeoproteomics, #ZooMS and human evolution? We currently have a postdoctoral position and a research position open. Postdoc: jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabeli... Research assistant: jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabeli...
- Reposted by Welker GroupNew paper is out! We and welkergroup.bsky.social show that proteins from resin-impregnated sediment blocks can reveal faunal diversity at the microscale. We thank and congratulate all coauthors! #paleoproteomics #geoarchaeology erc.europa.eu icarehb.bsky.social academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
- 📣Paper alert📣 Is it possible to use #palaeoproteomics to identify the taxonomy of bone fragments in resin-embedded sediment blocks, enabling study of past faunal community composition at a microstratigraphic scale? 🦴🐮 🦌 We decided to test this, and the results are now out: doi.org/10.1093/pnas...
- Huge thanks and congratulations to all coauthors (including @zandraselina.bsky.social, @fridowelker.bsky.social, @veraaldeias.bsky.social) and funders (@erc.europa.eu, #msca_promise and many more) 🎉
- Reposted by Welker GroupAnd that's a wrap on Bone Diagenesis 2025! What a lovely conference, full of kind and brilliant scientists. Also the first time my talk has been so 🔥🔥🔥 it set off the fire alarm (I'm choosing to assume that was the reason) 😅
- Reposted by Welker GroupParis and @welkergroup.bsky.social are ready for #ESHE2025!
- We have arrived in Turin for @isba11.bsky.social and are very excited for the week! Don't miss the following talks and posters from the Welker Group:
- On Thursday at 09:30 Ragnheiður Diljá Ásmundsdóttir will be talking about "Composition variations in archaeological human bone proteomes" in the Methods II session 🦴
- On Friday @zandraselina.bsky.social will talk about "Optimization of dental enamel demineralization for palaeoproteomics" at 11:35 in the Methods IV session 🦷
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View full threadAnd @leireti.bsky.social will both be presenting a poster on Wednesday, as well as talking about "The sex(y)-ing part of enamel: estimating sex ratios in hunted ungulates from the Late Pleistocene" in the @paastacommunity.bsky.social pre-ISBA conference 🦌
- Reposted by Welker GroupDelighted to be bringing you the following PAASTA community-led paper outlining our recommendations for best practices and open science in palaeoproteomics! Congratulations to the authors and for anyone keen to read the paper, it can be found #OpenAccess here: doi.org/10.24072/pcj...
- Reposted by Welker GroupI very much enjoyed #SMBE2025 in Beijing - huge thanks to the organizers, and I look forward to seeing everyone in Copenhagen next year!
- Reposted by Welker GroupMy poster presentation, thanks to the photographers team #SMBE2025
- For the last six months, we've had Lucas Siero from Utrecht University visiting us for an internship, working on some #palaeoproteomics method development. It was a joy to have you join our group Lucas, and good luck with the rest of your studies!
- Come visit beautiful Copenhagen and enjoy this years AGPM meeting! Exciting mixture of interdisciplinary approaches to archaeozoology⬇️
- Registration is open for the 11th #ICAZ-AGPM meeting taking place this October in Copenhagen! We're looking forward to four days of #archaeozoology #aDNA #morphometrics & #palaeoproteomics. sites.google.com/palaeome.org...
- Reposted by Welker GroupIt has truly been a pleasure to train and develop my PhD research on paleoproteomics about Iberia's Late Prehistory with @zandraselina.bsky.social and @welkergroup.bsky.social during my stay at Globe. Grateful for the collaborative spirit and all the inspiring discussions! See you all again soon!
- It truly has been a joy to advise @adrianaleite.bsky.social the past six months on some very exciting #palaeoproteomics projects. She made it incredibly easy for me though, by being a very hard working, creative and independent PhD student! 😄
- For the last six months, @adrianaleite.bsky.social has been visiting us from @icarehb.bsky.social. Thank you for this time Adriana, it has been a joy to have you in our group and we hope to see you again soon!
- Congratulations to @dorotheamylop.bsky.social!
- Last week we had a celebration, with @dorotheamylop.bsky.social defending her PhD @unileiden.bsky.social! Big congratulations to Dora🎉
- Reposted by Welker GroupNow that’s what I call scientific illustration
- New publication! 🎉 Here you can read all about dog drool, bleach, and a probable Central Asian Neanderthal child: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...
- New publication! 🎉 Here you can read all about dog drool, bleach, and a probable Central Asian Neanderthal child: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...
- Archaeological materials have often accumulated contamination from a range of sources, such as the burial ground, handling and storage. But how do we remove this contamination prior to #palaeoproteomics analysis, without damaging the endogenous proteins? And do we need to remove it? 🏺
- To solve this problem, we enlisted the help of our office dog, Tjorven. He used his research expertise to contaminate a Pleistocene Equus sp. bone with saliva, skin, and fur, to approximate years of contamination with a complex proteome, which easily absorbed to the bone.
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View full threadFinally, the Contaminator may no longer be with us, but we are very grateful for his research efforts as well! He did get a nice snack as a reward for his contribution.
- Last week we had a major celebration! 🎉Congratulations to Ragnheiður Diljá Ásmundsdóttir who successfully defended her PhD on skeletal proteome variation in the human skeleton! 🦴 #palaeoproteomics
- Diljá's research provides proteomic insights into composition variation in the human skeleton, as well as its preservation over archaeological timescales.
- For example, the research has shown that cortical bone preserves larger, less degraded proteins compared to trabecular bone samples from the same specimens: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...
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View full threadDiljá's PhD has been made possible by the @erc.europa.eu Starting Grant "PROSPER" as well as additional funding by the @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social, and of course many collaborators!
- We managed to solve the puzzles of the escape room before the vikings got us!
- Reposted by Welker GroupExcellent talks about Neanderthals and Denisovans by @lauritsskov.bsky.social and @fridowelker.bsky.social today at Vin & Videnskab!
- Reposted by Welker Group🧬 Review by @welkergroup.bsky.social (incl @zandraselina.bsky.social @loulemeillour.bsky.social) lays out how ancient protein analysis is revolutionising our understanding of human evolution! #Palaeoproteomics can retrieve molecular data from fossils too old/tropical for ancient DNA #teammassspec 🧵
- 📣 Paper alert! 📣 In this review, available as early view in @paleoanthjourn.bsky.social, we discuss "Paleoproteomic Contributions, and Current Limitations, to Understanding Middle and Late Pleistocene Human Evolution". Thanks to all coauthors! paleoanthropology.org/ojs/index.ph...
- Happy holidays to all our colleagues and collaborators! We cannot wait to continue doing amazing research with you again next year ☃️
- We are very excited to have our research featured in the Top Stories in Human Evolution of 2024! 🎉
- Excited that our work from Ranis and Baishiya Karst Cave are anong top stories of 2024 scicomm.plos.org/2024/12/16/t...
