Homo erectus and modern humans may have more in common than previously thought
A handful of ancient teeth from China are giving scientists an unusual look at one of the hardest chapters in human evolution to read. For decades, Homo erectus has stood at the center of that mystery. The species was the first known member of the human genus to leave Africa, spreading across huge stretches of Eurasia and lasting for nearly 2 million years. Yet even with its importance, researchers have had little molecular evidence to work with. Fossils of H. erectus are rare and culturally invaluable, which has made destructive testing a nonstarter in many cases. That impasse may now be starting to shift. A team led by Fu Qiaomei of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences recovered protein evidence from six H. erectus teeth using a minimally invasive acid-etching technique that left the teeth’s overall morphology intact. The work, published in Nature, points to a possible genetic connection between East Asian H. erectus, Denisovans, and some present-day human populations. It also offers a new way to study …
