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Homo Erectus

Homo erectus was an early human species that lived between approximately 1.9 million and 143,000 years ago. Fossils of Homo erectus were first discovered in Java, Indonesia in the 1890s and have since been found across Africa, the Middle East, Caucasus, and East Asia. Homo erectus had larger brains and bodies than earlier human species, allowing them to control fire, manufacture Acheulean stone tools, and migrate widespread geographic areas. They exhibited morphological features similar to modern humans such as upright walking and limb proportions, though their bodies were generally heavier.

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60 views1 page

Homo Erectus

Homo erectus was an early human species that lived between approximately 1.9 million and 143,000 years ago. Fossils of Homo erectus were first discovered in Java, Indonesia in the 1890s and have since been found across Africa, the Middle East, Caucasus, and East Asia. Homo erectus had larger brains and bodies than earlier human species, allowing them to control fire, manufacture Acheulean stone tools, and migrate widespread geographic areas. They exhibited morphological features similar to modern humans such as upright walking and limb proportions, though their bodies were generally heavier.

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Awel Oumer
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HOMO ERECTUS

Definition: The specific name Homo erectus derived from Pithecanthropus erectus was given
to the finds from Indonesia in the 19th century and when they were sufficiently distinct from
human, they were given a separate generic name known as Homo erectus. Homo erectus (upright
man) is an extinct species of human that occupies a fascinating spot within the human
evolutionary lineage.

Discovery of Homo Erects: In the 1890s, fossils found at the site of Trinil by Eugene Dubois on
Java, Indonesia, became the first to be classified as Pithecanthropus erectus(Dubois 1926). After
this discovery, more Homo erectus fossils were found in Indonesia, then China, and finally in
Africa from the 1960s. This species most likely originated in East Africa or perhaps Eurasia from
an earlier species of Homo(most generally thought to be Homo habilis). Homo erectus was an
early species of adventurers,
thought to have started their lengthy migration out of Africa, through the Middle East, the
Caucasus, and ultimately East Asia around 1.9-1.8 MYA, reaching China and Indonesia by 1.7-
1.6 MYA.

Morphological features of Homo Erectus: Homo erectus was both bigger and smarter than
previous Homo species. Their skeletons were basically similar to modern humans although they
were heavier).They were the first humans to have limb and torso proportions similar to modern
humans, which allowed them to walk upright on 2 ft and literally travel the world. Homo erectus
across dissimilar regions demonstrates a wide variety of sizes, ranging between approximately
145 cm and 185 cm in height and weighing between 40 kg and 68 kg. Homo erectus was without
a doubt a lot taller relative to previous human species. Early members of this species have cranial
capacities between 600 cm3 and 800 cm3, but later Homo erectus go beyond 1000 cm3, which
falls within the range seen in Homo sapiens.

Phylogenetic status and life way of Homo Erectus: Homo erectus relatively large brains and
bodies required a lot of energy to sustain them. They ate a diverse and broad diet, perhaps
including tubers, and definitely a substantial amount of meat. There is evidence that Homo
erectus knew and used fire. The earliest proof for the use of hominin fire dates back to around
1.8 MYA and from at least 500,000 years ago, cooking became widespread. Homo erectus was
also a toolmaker, related to the Old wan, but more generally with Acheulean stone tool
manufacturing, and was often linked with the formation of the first hand-axes, which represent
the first major modernization in stone tool technology. A broader set of tools would have helped
Homo erectus stay alive across a broad range of environments, which may explain the wide
geographic range in which Homo erectus fossils have been found.

On the whole, Homo erectus may well have been the most primitive species within this lineage
to show so many human-like characteristics.

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