A new study reveals that the evolution of the salivary amylase gene (AMY1), which helps humans digest starchy foods, dates back over 800,000 years—much earlier than previously thought. Researchers used advanced genome mapping to uncover that early humans, Neanderthals, and even ancient hunter-gatherers already carried multiple copies of the AMY1 gene. These duplications laid the foundation for how our bodies adapt to starch-rich diets, potentially influencing modern metabolic health.