GoKawiilProtein analysis of Xujiayao fossil links ancient hominin to Denisovans
Researchers extracted ancient proteins from Middle Pleistocene Xujiayao hominin bone fragments using minimally invasive drilling techniques at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in China. The proteomic data, combined with morphological analysis, were used to compare the Xujiayao specimen's biological profile with known Denisovan characteristics.
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Ancient protein analysis offers a way to classify fossils too degraded for DNA recovery, potentially expanding the known geographic and morphological range of Denisovans beyond sites like Siberia's Denisova Cave. If Xujiayao specimens share proteomic signatures with confirmed Denisovan remains, this could support arguments that enigmatic East Asian 'archaic' fossils represent a broader Denisovan population than previously recognized.
- Scientists used minimally destructive drilling to extract ancient proteins from Xujiayao hominin bone while preserving its macroscopic morphology for study.
- Proteins were separated into acid-soluble and acid-insoluble fractions for mass spectrometry analysis, a method distinct from ancient DNA extraction.
- The study aims to connect molecular evidence with morphological traits to assess whether Xujiayao fossils fit within a common Denisovan morphological pattern.
Source: nature.com — Xing, 2026-10-21
Published there as: “The proteome of Middle Pleistocene Xujiayao and common Denisovan morphology”
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