Ancient Teeth Reveal Hominin Link to Humans

Why this is here: Researchers identified the AMBN variant M273V in 400,000-year-old Homo erectus teeth, a protein also found in Denisovans, suggesting a shared genetic connection.

Chinese scientists led by Fu Qiaomei analyzed 400,000-year-old Homo erectus teeth from sites in Beijing, Anhui, and Henan. The team recovered molecular data using a new acid-etching technique and mass spectrometry. They discovered the protein AMBN, specifically the M273V variant, in the teeth.

This same protein marker appears in Denisovans, another ancient hominin population in Asia. Researchers suggest East Asian H. erectus may have contributed genetic material to Denisovans. That material then passed to present-day humans, adding to the modern human gene pool.

The study also identified a unique AMBN variant, A253G, in all six teeth. This suggests a close evolutionary relationship among the individuals despite differences in their physical features. Obtaining molecular data from such old fossils remains difficult, and the full extent of H. erectus’s influence on modern humans is still unclear.