Background: >>Homo antecessor is an archaic human species of the Lower Paleolithic, known to have been present in Western Europe (Spain, England and France) between about 1.2 million and 0.8 million years ago (Mya). It was described in 1997 by Eudald Carbonell, Juan Luis Arsuaga and J. M. Bermúdez de Castro, who based on its “unique mix of modern and primitive traits” classified it as a previously unknown archaic human species.<<

It’s hard to piece together the full history of human evolution from piles of old bones. But now, scientists have made use of a new method to study proteins in dental enamel of an 800,000-year-old human species, helping place it in the family tree.

The team managed to pin down Homo antecessor’s place in the family tree with greater precision than ever before. It had previously been put forward that this species was the last common ancestor for us modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. But the new study suggests that while we are closely related, we aren’t directly derived from Homo antecessor – it was less of a great grandfather and more of a great uncle.

“Ancient protein analysis provides evidence for a close relationship between Homo antecessor, us (Homo sapiens), Neanderthals, and Denisovans,” says Frido Welker, first author on the study. “Our results support the idea that Homo antecessor was a sister group to the group containing Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans.”

https://newatlas.com/science/homo-antecessor-proteins-human-evolution/

PermeateFree said:

Background: >>Homo antecessor is an archaic human species of the Lower Paleolithic, known to have been present in Western Europe (Spain, England and France) between about 1.2 million and 0.8 million years ago (Mya). It was described in 1997 by Eudald Carbonell, Juan Luis Arsuaga and J. M. Bermúdez de Castro, who based on its “unique mix of modern and primitive traits” classified it as a previously unknown archaic human species.<<

It’s hard to piece together the full history of human evolution from piles of old bones. But now, scientists have made use of a new method to study proteins in dental enamel of an 800,000-year-old human species, helping place it in the family tree.

The team managed to pin down Homo antecessor’s place in the family tree with greater precision than ever before. It had previously been put forward that this species was the last common ancestor for us modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. But the new study suggests that while we are closely related, we aren’t directly derived from Homo antecessor – it was less of a great grandfather and more of a great uncle.

“Ancient protein analysis provides evidence for a close relationship between Homo antecessor, us (Homo sapiens), Neanderthals, and Denisovans,” says Frido Welker, first author on the study. “Our results support the idea that Homo antecessor was a sister group to the group containing Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans.”

https://newatlas.com/science/homo-antecessor-proteins-human-evolution/

Interesting and somewhat unexpected.

PermeateFree said:

Background: >>Homo antecessor is an archaic human species of the Lower Paleolithic, known to have been present in Western Europe (Spain, England and France) between about 1.2 million and 0.8 million years ago (Mya). It was described in 1997 by Eudald Carbonell, Juan Luis Arsuaga and J. M. Bermúdez de Castro, who based on its “unique mix of modern and primitive traits” classified it as a previously unknown archaic human species.<<

It’s hard to piece together the full history of human evolution from piles of old bones. But now, scientists have made use of a new method to study proteins in dental enamel of an 800,000-year-old human species, helping place it in the family tree.

The team managed to pin down Homo antecessor’s place in the family tree with greater precision than ever before. It had previously been put forward that this species was the last common ancestor for us modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. But the new study suggests that while we are closely related, we aren’t directly derived from Homo antecessor – it was less of a great grandfather and more of a great uncle.

“Ancient protein analysis provides evidence for a close relationship between Homo antecessor, us (Homo sapiens), Neanderthals, and Denisovans,” says Frido Welker, first author on the study. “Our results support the idea that Homo antecessor was a sister group to the group containing Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans.”

https://newatlas.com/science/homo-antecessor-proteins-human-evolution/

> scientists have made use of a new method to study proteins in dental enamel of an 800,000-year-old human species

Brilliant. Some proteins, such as collagen, are more stable over long periods of time than DNA, which allows it to extend the DNA dating of dead species back in time.

> the new study suggests that while we are closely related, we aren’t directly derived from Homo antecessor

Darn.

Wait, did I already know that? If so, I’ve forgotten.

“This species lived about 800,000 to 1.2 million years ago in Europe”.

Oh yes. I did know that. The family tree out of Africa went from Homo erectus 2 million to 110,000 years ago straight to to Homo heidelbergensis 700,000 to 300,000 years ago. With Homo antecessor as a side branch.