Scientists at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have uncovered molecular evidence that could point to a previously unknown connection between Homo erectus and modern humans. At the same time, the team developed new paleoproteomics techniques that can extract valuable information from fossils while causing very little damage.
Homo erectus, or H.erectus, occupies an important place in human evolutionary history because it was the first species in the genus Homo known to have migrated out of Africa. Yet scientists still know relatively little about its genetic makeup, the diversity of its populations, or how it may have been related to later human groups.
One major reason is the shortage of molecular evidence from H. erectus. Without DNA or other preserved biological molecules, researchers have struggled to determine whether these ancient humans contributed genetically to populations that came later. This uncertainty has made the evolutionary role of H. erectus one of the enduring questions in the study of human origins.
Extracting Molecular Clues Without Ruining Fossils
Studying molecules preserved in H. erectus fossils presents another challenge. Ancient human remains are both scientifically irreplaceable and culturally important, making sampling methods that significantly damage fossils unacceptable in many cases. That limitation has slowed attempts to obtain molecular information from these specimens.
