The article you provided is a fascinating study on a groundbreaking method for extracting and identifying proteins from ancient human soft tissues. Here’s a rewritten version, maintaining the core ideas but improving clarity, structure, and style:

Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient Human Remains: A New Method for Accessing Proteins in Soft Tissues

A team of researchers at the University of Oxford has developed a revolutionary method that could soon unlock the vast repository of biological information held in the proteins of ancient human soft tissues. This discovery, published in PLOS ONE, opens up a new era for palaeobiological discovery and promises to vastly expand our understanding of ancient diet, disease, environment, and evolutionary relationships.

Up until now, studies on ancient proteins have been confined largely to mineralized tissues such as bones and teeth. However, the internal organs – which are a far richer source of biological information – have remained inaccessible due to the lack of an established protocol for their analysis. This new method changes that.

A key hurdle was finding an effective way to disrupt cell membranes to liberate proteins. The team discovered that urea successfully broke open cells and released proteins within. After extraction, the proteins were then separated using liquid chromatography and identified using mass spectrometry. By coupling this step with high-field asymmetric-waveform ion mobility spectrometry (which separates ions based on how they move in an electric field), the researchers found that they could increase the number of proteins identified by up to 40%.

This technique makes it possible to recover proteins from samples that are hard to analyze, including degraded or very complex mixtures. The team was able to identify over 1,200 ancient proteins from just 2.5 mg of sample – a feat that has never been achieved before.

Using the combined method, the researchers identified a diverse array of proteins that govern healthy brain function, reflecting the molecular complexity of the human nervous system. They also identified potential biomarkers for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. This new technique opens a window on human history we haven’t looked through before.

The vast majority of human diseases – including psychiatric illness and mental health disorders – leave no marks on the bone, making them essentially invisible in the archaeological record. This discovery promises to transform our understanding of ancient human health and disease.

Senior author Professor Roman Fischer, Centre for Medicines Discovery at the University of Oxford, added: “By enabling the retrieval of protein biomarkers from ancient soft tissues, this workflow allows us to investigate pathology beyond the skeleton, transforming our ability to understand the health of past populations.”

This method has already attracted interest for its applicability to a wide range of archaeological materials and environments – from mummified remains to bog bodies, and from antibodies to peptide hormones. As Dr Christiana Scheib, Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, noted: “Ancient soft tissues are so rarely preserved, yet could hold such powerful information regarding evolutionary history.”

The largest predatory fish to have ever existed, Otodus megalodon, was thought to be primarily focused on whales as their main source of food. However, new research has revealed that these massive creatures had a much broader range of prey than previously assumed.

According to Dr. Jeremy McCormack from the Department of Geosciences at Goethe University Frankfurt, who conducted this study together with scientists from Germany, France, Austria and the US, megalodon’s diet was not as specialized as previously thought. By analyzing fossilized teeth, which are all that remains of these cartilaginous fish, researchers found that megalodon had a flexible enough to feed on various prey from different levels of the food pyramid.

The researchers extracted zinc from the fossil teeth and compared its ratio with other prehistoric and extant shark species, as well as other animal species. This analysis provided insights into predator-prey relationships 18 million years ago. The findings suggested that megalodon was an ecologically versatile generalist, capable of adapting to different food sources depending on availability.

Comparisons between fossils from Sigmaringen and Passau showed regional differences in the range of prey or changes in its availability at different times. This study not only shed new light on the diet of megalodon but also provided valuable insights into how marine communities have changed over geologic time.

As Kenshu Shimada, a paleobiologist at DePaul University in Chicago, USA and coauthor of this study noted, even “supercarnivores” like megalodon are not immune to extinction. Previous studies had suggested that the rise of the modern great white shark was partly responsible for the demise of Otodus megalodon.

In conclusion, this research has revised our understanding of the diet of megalodon and has shown that these creatures were more adaptable than previously thought. The analysis of tooth zinc isotope ratios has proven to be a valuable tool for paleoecological reconstructions and will continue to provide insights into how marine communities have changed over time.

The ancient civilization of Arabia was once home to a rich and diverse culture that valued knowledge, trade, and innovation. New research has shed light on one of the most fascinating aspects of their history: the deliberate use of psychoactive and medicinal plants for therapeutic and sensorial practices nearly 2,700 years ago.

Led by Dr. Barbara Huber and Professor Marta Luciani, a team of researchers analyzed organic residues preserved inside Iron Age fumigation devices excavated at the oasis settlement of Qurayyah in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Using advanced metabolic profiling techniques, they detected characteristic harmala alkaloids from the plant Peganum harmala, also known as Syrian rue or harmal.

“This discovery represents chemical evidence for the earliest known burning of harmal not just in Arabia but globally,” says Dr. Huber, lead author of the study. “Our findings shed light on how ancient communities drew upon traditional plant knowledge and their local pharmacopeia to care for their health, purify spaces, and potentially trigger psychoactive effects.”

The integration of biomolecular analysis with archaeology has allowed researchers to identify not just what kind of plants people were using but also where, how, and why. This breakthrough has significant implications for fields such as ethnobotany, medical anthropology, heritage studies, and pharmacognosy – all concerned with the long-term relationship between humans, medicinal plants, and natural resources.

In traditional medicine and household fumigation practices today in the region, Peganum harmala is known for its antibacterial, psychoactive, and therapeutic properties. The new findings underscore its long-standing cultural and medicinal significance.

“This discovery shows the deep historical roots of traditional healing and fumigation practices in Arabia,” adds Ahmed M. Abualhassan, Heritage Commission co-director of the Qurayyah project. “We’re preserving not only objects but also the intangible cultural heritage of ancient knowledge that still holds relevance in local communities today.”