Ancient Teeth Yield Oldest Human Genetic Data

Researchers have successfully extracted genetic data from 2-million-year-old hominid fossils, specifically teeth belonging to the species Paranthropus robustus. This is the oldest genetic information ever recovered from any hominid, providing insights into the evolutionary relationships of this ancient human species. The study reveals that P. robustus is part of the human family but is a distant cousin to more closely related species that emerged in Eurasia. The researchers also identified the sex of the specimens using a protein encoded by a gene present on the Y-chromosome. While the genetic material is insufficient to fully place P. robustus in the human family tree, it represents a potentially transformative breakthrough for paleoanthropology.