研究チームがホモ・エレクトス（直立人）のものとされる6本の歯から重要なタンパク質を抽出したことで、他の古代人類との関係性を示す新たな分子的な手がかりが得られた。この発見は、約40万年前にアジアでデニソワ人との交配が行われていた可能性を指摘している。
北京にある中国科学院古脊椎動物古人類学研究所の傅巧妹（Qiaomei Fu）率いるチームが、周口店、和県、孫家洞を含む中国国内の遺跡から出土した歯を分析した。歯のエナメル質から抽出されたタンパク質により、2つの主要な変異が明らかになった。1つはホモ・エレクトス固有のものと見られ、もう1つは以前デニソワ人で特定された配列と一致する。
Researchers have analyzed mitochondrial DNA from eight Neanderthal teeth found in Stajnia Cave in Poland, reconstructing the genetic profile of a small group that lived there around 100,000 years ago. The study, published in Current Biology, marks the first such multi-individual genetic picture from a single site north of the Carpathians. The findings show genetic links to Neanderthals across Europe and the Caucasus.
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A 59,000-year-old tooth from a Siberian cave reveals that Neanderthals drilled into cavities to treat decay. The discovery pushes back the origins of dentistry by tens of thousands of years. Researchers identified clear marks from stone tools on the molar.
Researchers at Uppsala University have used ancient DNA to reveal that Stone Age burials in Sweden involved extended family members beyond immediate relatives. Analysis of shared graves at the Ajvide site on Gotland shows second- and third-degree kin were often buried together, suggesting strong community ties. The findings challenge assumptions about simple family structures in hunter-gatherer societies 5,500 years ago.
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A new analysis of the best-preserved Neanderthal infant skeleton shows that these ancient babies developed bones and brains at a pace matching modern humans aged 12 to 14 months, despite being only about six months old. The findings, based on the Amud 7 infant from Israel, suggest Neanderthals grew rapidly in early childhood as an adaptation to harsh environments. Researchers observed similar patterns in other young Neanderthal remains.