Ancient cannibal tooth provides oldest ever evidence of human ancestors
Friday, May 8, 2020 - 08:51
in Paleontology & Archaeology
The question over how Homo antecessor, the earliest known hominin species in Europe, is related to other Homo species and where it sits on the evolutionary tree has been much debated. Although genetic data and fossil records provide insight into the origin of modern humans, the degradation of ancient DNA poses a challenge for precisely tracking their evolutionary progress. To address this issue, a team of researchers has used a new technique to study proteins in the dental enamel of an 800 000-year-old human species to help place it on the family tree.