Ancient Teeth Reveal Oldest Genetic Data from Human Relative

Researchers have successfully extracted genetic information from 2-million-year-old teeth belonging to Paranthropus robustus, an ancient human relative. These protein sequences, the oldest ever recovered, provide insights into the evolutionary relationships between different hominin species. The study utilized mass spectrometry to analyze amino acids in the enamel of the teeth, revealing the presence of a male-specific protein in two samples. The findings contribute to our understanding of human evolution and highlight the potential of ancient protein studies in reconstructing the history of hominins. However, some scientists caution that bone shape remains a more reliable method for untangling evolutionary relationships.