Proteins From 400,000-Year-Old Teeth in China Yield First Data on Homo Erectus

Proteins recovered from six teeth approximately 400,000 years old have provided the first substantial molecular data on Homo erectus, revealing that the ancient species interbred with Denisovans. The teeth, analyzed by a team led by Qiaomei Fu at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, came from three sites in China: one from Zhoukoudian, two from Hexian and three from Sunjiadong.

All six teeth shared two specific variants in their enamel proteins.

One protein variant has never been seen in any human group and may be unique to East Asian H. erectus. The second protein variant is also present in Denisovans and in a small fraction of modern humans.

The study suggests H. erectus interbred with Denisovans and passed on the protein variant. Based on the amelogenin Y protein, five of the six teeth belonged to males and one tooth from Sunjiadong belonged to a female.

The teeth were found isolated and their shapes are not especially H. erectus-like. Known H. erectus fossils found in China are all from periods often over a million years ago. Homo erectus arose in Africa approximately two million years ago.

8 million years ago, as shown by fossils from Dmanisi, Georgia. Homo erectus survived in Java, Indonesia, until as recently as 108,000 years ago. In 2020, Frido Welker at the University of Copenhagen obtained proteins from the dental enamel of one H.

Erectus tooth from Dmanisi, Georgia. The 2020 Dmanisi protein data gave no information about the fossil, according to John Hawks at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This latest analysis is the first time ancient proteins from H. Erectus have revealed meaningful information about the species.

The Denisovan genome includes DNA from an unknown hominin group. A recent study examined Denisovan DNA in 30 modern human populations and found it originated from three distinct Denisovan populations.

John Hawks says there are three possible interpretations of the data that cannot be distinguished with current evidence. One interpretation is that the teeth belong to Denisovans rather than H. erectus.

Another interpretation is that the teeth represent a Denisovan population with genetic input from H. erectus. Ryan McRae, a paleoanthropologist with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, said the work connects modern humans to deep ancestors.

Qiaomei Fu stated that more material is required to clarify relationships. “We really need to get more DNA and bits of H. 1038/s41586-026-10478-8.