Abstract

Protein sequences preserved in the fossil record encode genetic information which, in some instances, can survive approximately ten times longer than DNA under the same conditions. As a consequence, the new discipline of palaeoproteomics (the study of ancient proteins by mass spectrometry) is currently having a tremendous impact on the study of the past, allowing us to address open questions in archaeology and palaeontology over unprecedented timescales, encompassing the whole of the Pleistocene and beyond. Here I discuss the role of deep-time proteins from non-conventional substrates, such as avian eggshell, in reconstructing past human-environment interactions. Focussing on the hotly debated issue of the early anthropic impact on natural landscapes, I tell the story of how ancient proteins helped us resolve a long-standing mystery involving giant extinct flightless birds, the first inhabitants of Australia, and the leftovers of cooked eggs.