18 CH 12 Archaic Homo

What was discovered at the Sima del Elefante site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos)?

Half of a hominin face - Homo affinis erectus

• Dated: 1.4-1.1 MYA

• Western Europe’s oldest human face

Pre-modern Homo/”Archaic”

A mosaic of H. erectus and H. sapiens features - 780-125 KYA

• H. heidelbergensis

• H. neanderthalensis

Features of Archaic H. sapiens (430 kya)

• Cranium long and low

• Large brow ridges

• Projecting rear vault

• Face projecting and large

• No chin

Features of Modern H. sapiens

• Cranium globular

• Reduced or absent brow ridges

• Rounded rear vault

• Face retracted and small

• Pronounced chin

Frontal view differences between Archaic and Modern H. sapiens

• Differences

  • Archaic H. sapiens are large brow bone

  • Archaic H. sapiens have larger face (vert + horizontal

  • Archaic H sapiens have heavily worn teeth (reduced enamel)

• Similar: Brow ridge divided at the center

Who formally proposed resurrecting the term Homo heidelbergensis to replace the term Archaic H. sapiens?

Philip Rightmire

What gave rise to Neandertals and modern humans in seperate speciation events

The resurrecting of the term H. Heidelbergensis

Who originally proposed the H. heidelbergensis in 1908 based on a mandible from a gravel pit near Heidelberg, Germany

Otto Schoetensack

What was the discovery site of the Heidelberg Jaw

A sand-pit at the Maurer, near Heidelberg, Germany

What was the Extant Human Cranial Capacity (cm3) of Males

• Mean: 1427

• Range: 1100-1651

• SD: 81.6

What was the Extant Human Cranial Capacity (cm3) of Females

• Mean: 1272

• Range: 1070-1427

• SD: 82.9

What was the Extant Human Cranial Capacity (cm3) of Males and Females (Combined)

• Mean: 1349

• Range: 1085-1581

• SD: 77.5

Bodo

• Cranial Capacity: 1300 cc

• Dated: 600 KYA

• Very large face

• Stone tool cut marks and signs of cannibalism

What tradition did the middle pleistocene Homo continue?

The Acheulian lithic industry

• Hand axes

• Bifacial flaking

• Targeted design

• Mental template

• End result of flake removal

What is the Levallois Technique (Prepared-core)

• Multistep process

• Perimeter flaking

• Striking platform at one end

• Controls flake size and shape

• Began 300-200 KYA

  • Long thought to be found early on only in Africa and W. Eurasia with spread to East Asia much later ca. 40 KYA, there is now evidence in Asia much earleir

Kabwe (Broken Hill) Zambia

• Dated 300-125 KYA

• Cranial capacity: 1280 cc

• Large cavities (caries)

• Severe anterior tooth wear

• Benign tumor

• Alternative restoration based on different climatic zone

Europe in the Middle Pleistoncene at the time of H. heidelbergensis

• Northern latitudes were ice-covered during glacial phases

• Glacial-interglacial cycles

  • Isolation between wetter and drier climates

  • Severe Humidity and Climate Changes

What was the glacial impact on early European human habitats 1.1 million years ago ?

It is likely that an entirely new population of archaic humans came into Europe after that 4,000-year hiatus after 1.1 million years ago

What was one of the main sites for H. heidelbergensis?

Atapuerca

What was found/discovered at the site of Sima de los Huesos Atapuerca, Spain?

• 6,800 hominin skeletal elements dated to 430 kya

• MNI = 28 individuals, some with traumatic wounds

  • EX: Sima 5 Craniofacial pathology/trauma

• Represents some form of intentional ‘body-catching'

• Wide bi-iliac breadth/wide body build

What two locations where H. heidelbergensis mandibles discovered?

Maurer (Germany) and Arago (France)

What was discovered in Schoningen, Germany in 1994?

• Excavation of spears/flint artifacts/convex side scrapers with retouch around the edges

  • Yielded as many as 11 of the oldest complete wooden spears, about 2 meters long and made of spruce and pine

What animal skull(s) was discovered in the Schoningen site - was one of about 50 killed and butchered by the hunters?

Horse skulls

What were the spears used for from the Schoningen site?

Close-quarter thrusting weapon

• Used for short distances

What characteristics of Petralona differentiate from modern humans?

• Similar brain/cranial capacity

• Petralona had greatest width lower down nearer skull based whilst modern humans had greatest width higher up on parietal bones

What was discovered in Altamura, Italy?

Neandertal Remains

• Initially thought to be H. heidelbergensis

  • Dated: 172-130 KYA

• Body shows typical Neandertal features whilst the skull shows some H. heidelbergensis traits

  • Thus a morphological bridge between Middle Pleistocene Homo and later Neandertals

Name three European H. heidelbergensis skull sites?

• Swanschombe, England - Dated 400 KYA

• Steinheim, Germany - Dated 250-300 KYA

• Arago, France - Dated 455 KYA

Name the four H. heidelbergensis skull sites in China?

• Jinniushan - Dated 260 KYA

• Dali - Dated 230-180 KYA

• Hualongdon - Dated 300 KYA

• Harbin - “Dragon Man”

What was specified as the “extinct side branch” for Homo specification/evolution?

H. antecessor

How many hominin fossil elements were found in the Rising Star Cave?

1751 fossil elements of H. naledi

• Approximately 15 individuals

What hominin has the largest number of skeletal elements recovered found in Africa?

H. naledi

• Dating - 335-236 KYA

What was an important discovery with H. naledi that strongly related them to modern humans?

All life cycle stages were found in H. naledi that are the direct same as H. sapiens

• Infant

• Young juvenile

• Older juvenile

• Subadult

• Young adult

• Old adult

What is the mosaic anatomy in H. naledi (Homo features)

• Humanesque skull

• Versatile hands

• Long Legs

• Humanesque skull

What is the mosaic anatomy of H naledi (Australopithecine features)

• Primitive Shoulders

• Flared pelvis

• Curved Fingers

What was the male-female body size dimorphism in H. naledi?

Little to none difference comparative to that of Australothicines and other previous Hominins