Enamel proteins from six Homo erectus specimens across China

Nature, Published online: 13 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10478-8 Palaeoproteomic analysis of ancient enamel proteins extracted from Middle Pleistocene Homo erectus specimens from the Zhoukoudian, Hexian and Sunjiadong sites in China suggests that they are a new genetic monogroup, and super-archaic introgression in Denisovans is likely to have originated from H. erectus.