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Protein reveals the oldest episode of sex and procreation among human species
Science ^ | May 13, 2026 | Nuño Domínguez

Posted on 05/28/2026 2:11:53 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Since humans developed the ability to study DNA extracted from fossils, we have uncovered a mystery that until now had no answer. In the DNA of some human species, including our own, Homo sapiens, there were "super-archaic" markers, vestiges of older, unknown species with which we had interbred and produced offspring. Unable to determine who these genomic intruders were, some scientists called them ghost populations...

Researchers in China have analysed proteins from the tooth enamel of six fossils dating back around 400,000 years -- five men and one woman -- found at sites across much of the country from north to south. They were able to recover two proteins, and one of them -- the M273V variant of the enamel protein ameloblastin -- is key. The results show that this protein is present in all the fossils analyzed, which belonged to our ancestor Homo erectus. The same compound had previously been identified in the teeth of another human group, the Denisovans -- close relatives of Neanderthals, themselves the species most closely related to our own.

The finding implies that, at some point around 400,000 years ago, Homo erectus, which originated in Africa, and the Denisovans, a human population adapted to Eurasia, encountered one another, had sex, and produced fertile offspring. It is the oldest known episode of interbreeding between human groups, and the first to feature Homo erectus, a species that until recently had been largely overlooked. The results were published on Wednesday in Nature.

(Excerpt) Read more at english.elpais.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: ameloblastin; ancientautopsies; denisovans; genealogy; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; homoerectus; teeth

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Reconstruction of a 'homo erectus' based on fossils from different locations, in an image from the Natural History Museum.
Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum

1 posted on 05/28/2026 2:11:53 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

2 posted on 05/28/2026 2:18:40 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Protein reveals the oldest episode of sex and procreation among human species

And here I was, expecting to read of fossilized panties undergoing DNA testing!

Instead, it's about tooth enamel!

Whew! That was a close one!

But tooth enamel? What does that tell us about the depraved sex practices of our ancient ancestors?

Regards,

3 posted on 05/28/2026 2:20:10 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: alexander_busek

Calls to mind that old song, “Tattooed Love Boys”.


4 posted on 05/28/2026 2:23:26 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Love at first sight?


5 posted on 05/28/2026 2:26:17 AM PDT by abb
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To: SunkenCiv

They all interbred with viable offspring. They are all one species. Denisovans, Neanderthals, Homo Erecti did not go extinct. They fused with Homo Sapiens. They are among us/in us still. The percentages of DNA are low for the other varieties because at any given time there were far more Homo Sapiens than there were the others.


6 posted on 05/28/2026 2:33:16 AM PDT by arthurus (l| covfeve |l :-)
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To: SunkenCiv
"proteins from the tooth enamel of six fossils dating back around 400,000 years -- five men and one woman"

It's hard to think of them as being men and women when you're talking about it being almost half a million years ago.
7 posted on 05/28/2026 2:34:38 AM PDT by equaviator (Nobody's perfect. That's why they put pencils on erasers!)
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To: SunkenCiv
Two Paleolithic versions of Vin Deisel ?



8 posted on 05/28/2026 2:37:35 AM PDT by Candor7 ( Ask not for whom the Trump Trolls,He trolls for thee!<img src="" width=300</img><a href="">tag</a>))
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To: arthurus

It’s unlikely that Homo Sapiens existed at all at the time, more likely, given the DNA evidence, that Homo Sapiens resulted from a lot of such trysts.


9 posted on 05/28/2026 2:51:19 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: Candor7

I thought Vin Diesel was the paleolithic version of Vin Diesel...


10 posted on 05/28/2026 2:53:18 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: abb

[singing] what’s love got to do, got to do, with it...


11 posted on 05/28/2026 2:54:02 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Ugh...I’m thinking “not even at closing time...”


12 posted on 05/28/2026 3:04:06 AM PDT by Adder (End fascism...defeat all Democrats.)
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To: SunkenCiv

When HS spread into Europe and probably also with Asia, the population of Neanderthals in Europe and Denisovans in Asia were very sparse. The incoming Moderns were many times their number so the genes contributed by the older groups to Man were a correspondingly tiny percentage.


13 posted on 05/28/2026 3:10:52 AM PDT by arthurus (l| covfeve |l o:-)
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To: SunkenCiv

I thought Vin Diesel was the paleolithic version of Vin Diesel...>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You are undoubtedly right. We can prove it by extracting a tooth !


14 posted on 05/28/2026 3:14:13 AM PDT by Candor7 ( Ask not for whom the Trump Trolls,He trolls for thee!<img src="" width=300</img><a href="">tag</a>))
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To: arthurus

That’s just an out-of-Africa myth.


15 posted on 05/28/2026 3:17:53 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is just a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: abb

since it’s about teeth... wouldn’t it be “love at first bite”?


16 posted on 05/28/2026 4:35:09 AM PDT by mdmathis6 (A horrible historic indictment: Biden Democrats plunging us into Ukraine wars to hide their crimes!)
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To: SunkenCiv

“Homo erectus”

There’s gotta be a joke or two in there....


17 posted on 05/28/2026 5:16:29 AM PDT by trebb (So many fools - so little time...)
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To: SunkenCiv
"Been there. Done that." - Keith Richards



18 posted on 05/28/2026 5:24:04 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: SunkenCiv
                    Homo erectus


19 posted on 05/28/2026 5:27:19 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The quickest and easiest way to untold riches is to be elected to national office.)
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To: SunkenCiv

SC, this really does sound like so much hooie.

Fake Science.

Thinly-supported theories about supposed ancestors referred to as if they are established fact, reliable history.

There’s a lot of PhD degrees on the line if they start admitting the fictions they’ve been trading in.


20 posted on 05/28/2026 5:30:49 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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