BackAncient Proteins Reveal Homo Erectus Interbreeding with Denisovans, DNA Passed to Modern Humans

Science

Ars Technica5/13/2026ScienceUnited States

Ancient Proteins Reveal Homo Erectus Interbreeding with Denisovans, DNA Passed to Modern Humans

Homo erectus Denisovans ancient proteins

Quick Look

Ancient protein analysis from Homo erectus teeth reveals interbreeding with Denisovans, with inherited DNA present in modern human populations, particularly in the Philippines and India.

AI-generated summary

Font size

Ancient protein analysis from Homo erectus teeth reveals interbreeding with Denisovans, with inherited DNA present in modern human populations, particularly in the Philippines and India.

Read the full article on Ars Technica

Researchers in Vermont discovered a transmissible skin cancer, resembling black tar, spreading among brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog. The cancer, identified as melanoma, appears to be infectious, with tumor cells escaping hosts and infecting new fish, offering potential clues for human cancer metastasis.

NPR News

4 min read

Science·12 hours ago

What Happens When You Cut a Photon in Half?

A theoretical study by Norwegian physicists suggests that abruptly removing a mirror during a photon's reflection divides it into multiple photons across a frequency spectrum, which remain in a superposition of reflected and transmitted states, challenging conventional understanding of photon behavior.

Ars Technica

5 min read

Science·yesterday

Naked Mole-Rat Queens Use Scent to Suppress Reproduction in Colony

Researchers at Max Delbrück Center in Berlin found that naked mole-rat queens use a specific scent, isopropyl myristate, to suppress breeding in other females. This olfactory signal, rather than violence, maintains the colony's eusocial structure and prevents other females from reproducing.

Ars Technica

6 min read

Science·2 days ago

T. rex Fossil 'Gus' Sells for Record $50.1 Million, Sparking Paleontologist Outcry

A 38-foot Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, nicknamed "Gus," sold for a record $50.1 million at auction, drawing sharp criticism from paleontologists. Scientists are concerned that private ownership removes scientifically significant specimens from public research and display, highlighting a debate between commercial interests and academic access.

NPR Business

5 min read

Developing·3 days ago

ADA Deputy Editors Publish Preprint After Organization Refuses to Run Critical Articles on New Orleans Incident

Deputy editors of Diabetes Care have released a preprint containing an editorial and seven opinion pieces after the American Diabetes Association refused to publish them. The articles detail new allegations surrounding the removal of five prominent scientists from the ADA's annual meeting in New Orleans for distributing criticism of the Trump administration's attacks on scientific research.

Ars Technica

7 min read

Developing·7/12/2026

Climate Change May Have Driven Polynesian Expansion Across the Pacific

New climate evidence suggests a severe drought in the southwest Pacific between 850 and 1200 AD may have prompted Polynesian ancestors to migrate eastward, settling islands like Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island.

Ars Technica

Ancient Proteins Reveal Homo Erectus Interbreeding with Denisovans, DNA Passed to Modern Humans

Quick Look

Related Topics

Related Stories

Scientists Discover Transmissible Skin Cancer Spreading Among Catfish in Lake Memphremagog

What Happens When You Cut a Photon in Half?

Naked Mole-Rat Queens Use Scent to Suppress Reproduction in Colony

T. rex Fossil 'Gus' Sells for Record $50.1 Million, Sparking Paleontologist Outcry

ADA Deputy Editors Publish Preprint After Organization Refuses to Run Critical Articles on New Orleans Incident

Climate Change May Have Driven Polynesian Expansion Across the Pacific