Protein in Homo erectus teeth suggests Denisovans gave us some of their DNA

Ancient protein analysis of Homo erectus teeth from China suggests Denisovan ancestors may have mixed with Homo erectus or a very close relative.

Researchers compared enamel proteins from a Homo erectus tooth with Denisovan material and found clues pointing to shared ancestry.

The finding extends human ancestry research beyond degraded DNA, where proteins can help identify elusive archaic hominins.

It may also help explain how Denisovans passed older genetic material into modern humans.