Enamel proteins link six Chinese H. erectus to Denisovan gene flow
Ancient enamel proteomics recovered endogenous proteins from six Middle Pleistocene Homo erectus teeth across northern and southern China (~0.4 Ma) and a Denisovan tooth. The study identifies two AMBN variants: a novel AMBN A253G found in all six H. erectus samples and not in other hominins, and AMBN M273V shared with Denisovans, suggesting Denisovans may have inherited this region from an H. erectus–related population. The results imply interactions between East Asian H. erectus populations and Denisovans and support the idea that H. erectus contributed to Denisovan DNA, with some signals ultimately reaching modern humans via introgression. Phylogenetic analyses cluster the H. erectus samples together, illustrating the power of enamel proteomics to illuminate deep human evolution and population diversity in East Asia.
