Revision History

A new paleoproteomics study published in Nature analyzed ancient enamel proteins from six Homo erectus teeth recovered at three Chinese cave sites, identifying two mutations in the ameloblastin protein — one unique to East Asian H. erectus and another shared with Denisovans and present in modern human populations at rates up to 21% in the Philippines. The findings suggest a chain of interbreeding from H. erectus to Denisovans to Homo sapiens, adding a new chapter to the increasingly complex story of human evolution.