Chinese Teeth Suggest Homo Erectus Interbred

Scientists in China found genetic evidence suggesting Homo erectus and Denisovans interbred, leaving traces in modern humans. Researchers analyzed proteins from the teeth of six Homo erectus individuals found at sites in China dating back roughly 400,000 years. They discovered a genetic variant previously identified in two Denisovans—one from Siberia and another near Taiwan—within the Homo erectus samples.

This finding suggests that East Asian Homo erectus populations passed this variant onto Denisovans through mating. The same variant also appears in a small percentage of modern human genomes, strengthening the idea that an unknown archaic human species contributed to our genetic makeup. Homo erectus lived alongside Neanderthals, Denisovans, and early modern humans until about 100,000 years ago.

However, researchers caution that genetic variants can arise independently. Determining the exact role of Homo erectus in the human genome remains complex, and further investigation is needed to fully understand the interactions between these ancient human groups. The work to map the full story of human origins continues.