中科院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所的研究团队对来自周口店、和县和孙家东三处中国化石遗址的直立人牙齿进行了分析，这些牙齿距今至少40万年前1。通过古蛋白质分析，研究人员在这些直立人化石中检测到了两种关键突变：AMBN A253G和AMBN M273V1。其中AMBN A253G突变为首次发现，表明来自三个遗址的直立人个体属于同一进化种群1；而AMBN M273V突变此前被认为仅存在于丹尼索瓦人中，这一发现首次在分子层面提供了直立人与丹尼索瓦人之间可能存在遗传联系的证据1。
研究推测，AMBN M273V突变可能通过混合进入丹尼索瓦人谱系，随后通过种族间杂交传入现代东南亚和大洋洲人群1。为完成这项研究，团队开发了新的古蛋白质组学技术，采用酸蚀技术只需少量材料即可提取分子信息，同时保持化石形态完整1。相关成果已发表于《自然》杂志2026年第655卷第8121期1。
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Human Evolution have discovered molecular evidence linking Homo erectus to Denisovans by analyzing protein mutations in teeth dating back at least 400,000 years 1. The team identified two critical mutations in specimens from three Chinese fossil sites—Zhoukoudian, Hexian, and Sunjiadong—providing the first direct evidence of genetic connection between these two human lineages 1.
The analysis revealed a previously unknown mutation, AMBN A253G, which suggests that Homo erectus individuals from all three sites belonged to the same evolving population 1. More significantly, researchers detected the AMBN M273V mutation, a variant previously thought to exist only in Denisovans, in these ancient teeth 1. This discovery indicates that the mutation likely entered the Denisovan lineage through interbreeding with Homo erectus populations and subsequently passed into modern populations across Southeast Asia and Oceania through inter-group hybridization 1.
To make these discoveries, the research team developed an innovative ancient proteomics technique using acid etching that requires minimal material and preserves the fossils' structural integrity 1. The findings have been published in Nature, Volume 655, Issue 8121, in 2026 1.
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