Ghost of long-extinct ancestor lives on in people today

Key Points

• The research investigates the protein variants from Homo erectus teeth and their presence in modern humans and Denisovans.
• Analysis of ancient Homo erectus teeth from China
• Comparison of protein variants with those found in Denisovans and modern humans
• Ancient teeth exhibited protein variants shared with Denisovans and modern humans.
• The findings suggest a significant evolutionary connection among these species.