Ancient Tooth Enamel Reveals Hominine Interbreeding
Why this is here: The researchers successfully extracted protein data from Homo erectus fossils dating back approximately 400,000 years, pushing the boundaries of what is knowable about ancient hominines.
Qiaomei Fu and colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed tooth enamel from six Homo erectus fossils in China. These fossils date back roughly 400,000 years. The team used paléoprotéomics to analyze proteins within the enamel.
This method allows researchers to study specimens older than those yielding viable ancient DNA. They identified a unique molecular signature specific to these Asian hominines.
The analysis suggests possible interbreeding between Homo erectus and Denisovans. This mixing may have passed archaic traits to modern humans, Homo sapiens.
The study acknowledges that proteins offer less information than DNA. Further research is needed to fully understand the extent of these ancient connections.
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