Within the framework of the UrQMD model, by tracing the number of initial quarks in protons, we study the elliptic flow of protons with 3, 2, 1, 0 initial quarks and anti-protons in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 7.7, 11.5, 39, 200 GeV. The difference of elliptic flow between protons with 2, 1, 0 initial quarks and anti-protons is smaller than 0, or consistent with 0, respectively. The difference of elliptic flow between transported protons (with 3 initial quarks) and anti-protons is larger than 0 at 7.7, 11.5 and 39 GeV. This is in good agreement...