400,000-year-old teeth reveal hidden link between Homo erectus and modern humans

September 9, 2026 at 05:00 AM2 min

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Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have recovered molecular evidence from six Homo erectus teeth dating to at least 400,000 years ago. The findings, published in Nature, point to a previously unknown genetic connection between East Asian Homo erectus and Denisovans. The team used a new acid etching technique that preserves fossil shape while extracting enamel proteins.

Key Facts

The teeth were recovered from three Chinese fossil sites: Zhoukoudian (Peking Man), Hexian, and Sunjiadong.
The fossils date to at least 400,000 years ago.
Researchers detected two mutations: AMBN A253G, previously unknown, and AMBN M273V, previously considered Denisovan-specific.
The presence of AMBN A253G in all three sites provides the first evidence that these Homo erectus individuals belonged to the same evolutionary population.
The study was led by FU Qiaomei of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP).

Molecular Evidence from Enamel

The team used an acid etching technique that requires only very small amounts of material to recover molecular information from six Homo erectus teeth. The method leaves the shape of the fossils intact, addressing concerns about damaging scientifically irreplaceable and culturally important remains. The findings were published online in Nature. A commentary published at the same time in Nature emphasized the importance of enamel proteins recovered from the six Chinese H. erectus teeth. The commentary said the proteins provide "new insights into how ancient genetic material was eventually introduced into modern human populations."

Genetic Link to Denisovans

The molecular evidence points to possible genetic connections between East Asian H. erectus and Denisovans. Denisovans are known to have contributed genetic material to some modern human populations. One of the mutations, AMBN A253G, had not previously been identified. The researchers propose that AMBN A253G could serve as a molecular marker for these H. erectus populations. The second variant, AMBN M273V, had previously been considered specific to Denisovans.