The study of ancient Homo erectus teeth has revealed that this species interacted with Denisovans, who inhabited the Altai region around 400,000 years ago in East Asia. For the first time, researchers have established a genetic link between Homo erectus, Denisovans, and modern humans.

Distribution and Significance of Homo erectus

Homo erectus was widely distributed across Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia about two million years ago. This species was the first among ancient humans to leave Africa and migrate to Western Asia. Remains found in China and Indonesia indicate that Homo erectus lived in these regions for approximately 1.5 million years. Despite its crucial role in human evolution, molecular and genetic data on Homo erectus have been scarce due to the age and cultural value of the remains, making it difficult to study population diversity and possible connections with modern humans.

New Molecular Data

Until recently, the only molecular data available for Homo erectus were proteins extracted from a 1.77-million-year-old tooth found in Georgia. However, due to the condition of the remains, it was not possible to identify genetic differences from other species.

Study of Teeth from China

Scientists from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with colleagues from other research organizations, studied six Homo erectus teeth dating back about 400,000 years, discovered in China. Using a minimally destructive sampling method, they managed to extract ancient enamel proteins without damaging the remains. Since DNA encodes the corresponding proteins, the data obtained allow researchers to assess the genetic relationship of Homo erectus with other species. The results of the study were published in the online edition of the journal Nature.

Genetic Links and Mutations

Protein analysis revealed two mutations indicating a genetic connection between East Asian Homo erectus and Denisovans, who also coexisted with Neanderthals and modern humans. The first mutation does not match any known hominins but confirms that Homo erectus remains from three regions of China belonged to a single evolutionary population.

The second mutation had previously been found in Denisovans, an extinct human species that disappeared about 40,000–50,000 years ago. Their remains were first discovered in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains. This suggests that late Homo erectus and the ancestors of Denisovans coexisted, interacted, and may have had shared descendants for a certain period. Genomic studies show that Neanderthals, Denisovans, and modern humans shared a common ancestor, who passed up to 8% of genetic information to Denisovans. Some of these archaic DNA segments have been preserved in the genomes of present-day populations in Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Prospects for Further Research

It is believed that Denisovans may have acquired the identified mutation from Homo erectus, who inhabited the same territories hundreds of thousands of years ago. Further research on this species could contribute to a deeper understanding of evolutionary processes, population diversity, and interactions among ancient humans.