A groundbreaking analysis of ancient teeth is offering scientists an unprecedented glimpse into the interactions between early human relatives, hundreds of thousands of years ago, and their enduring legacy on our own species. A recent study has unearthed crucial genetic clues concerning Homo erectus , an ancestor that arose in Africa approximately two million years ago before migrating across the globe to regions including Asia and potentially Europe. While remains of this early human have been discovered in diverse locations such as Indonesia, Spain, China , and Georgia, the fragile nature of genes and proteins has historically made understanding their internal biological makeup a significant challenge. An ancient tooth found at the Sunjiadong archaeological site in China. (Local Library) In a new work, researchers siphoned ancient enamel proteins from H. erectus teeth belonging to five men and one woman that were recovered across several locations in China to learn how these early humans may have mingled.…