ANT101 Lecture 17 Notes

Anthropological Notes: Genus Homo, Part I

Homo erectus Overview

  • Timeline:

  • Existed approximately 1.8 million years ago (mya) to 250,000 years ago (kya).

  • Spread across the Old World, indicating a successful and widespread species.

  • Potentially multiple species with geographic diversity.

  • Ancestral Links:

  • African groups possibly ancestral to Homo sapiens.

  • East Asian groups may represent an evolutionary side branch.

Brain Size

  • Mean cranial capacity: 900 cc.

  • Shows a significant increase (25-40%) in brain size compared to Homo habilis (500-800 cc).

  • Cranial Features:

  • Prominent supraorbital ridge.

  • Receding narrow frontal bone.

  • Keel at midline of the skull.

Body Size and Proportions

  • Dramatic increase in body size with robust structures and heavy builds.

  • Body Proportions:

  • Longer legs, shorter arms, resembling modern humans.

  • Barrel-shaped thorax, pronounced muscle markings.

  • Heavier musculature and greater bone density compared to modern humans.

  • Sexual Dimorphism:

  • Reduced sexual dimorphism—potential increase in female size related to childbirth.

Notable Fossils

  • Nariokotome Boy (KNM-WT 15000):

  • Estimated at 1.6 mya, shows significant characteristics of H. erectus, including longer legs than Australopithecus afarensis.

Cranial Shape

  • Distinctive features of H. erectus:

  • Thick cranial bones and large brow ridges (supraorbital torus).

  • Limited forehead development, highlighting primitive features.

Dentition

  • Teeth Formation:

  • Similar to modern Homo sapiens with shovel-shaped incisors.

  • May relate to food processing, although not definitively proven.

Significant Fossil Sites

  • West Turkana, Kenya:

  • Famous for 85% complete H. erectus skeleton (1.65 Ma).

  • Dmanisi, Georgia:

  • Contains some of the oldest H. erectus remains outside Africa (1.9-1.78 Ma).

  • Crania are smaller in face and jaw compared to African counterparts; associated with stone tools similar to Oldowan technologies.

  • Java Sites (Trinil, Sangiran, Ngandong):

  • Demonstrates variety of findings, including older fossils (>1 Ma) at Sangiran.

  • Ngandong remains possess controversial dating (50-25 kya).

  • Zhoukoudian, China:

  • Significant finds of H. erectus remains along with stone tools, likely from both males and females.

  • Evidence suggests adaptation to cold environments with possible clothing usage.

Evidence for Use of Fire

  • Archaeological Evidence:

  • Layers of ash discovered at Zhoukoudian dating back to 599-240 kya and 1.6 Ma at Koobi Fora.

  • Likely the first species to utilize fire.

Geographic Distribution

  • H. erectus in Different Regions:

  • Found in Asia (Java, Georgia), Africa, and potentially Europe (700 kya).

  • Documented that they adapted and migrated, possessing better tool-making and advanced capabilities than predecessors.

Tool Technologies

  • Stone Tools Used:

  • Oldowan Tools: Simple choppers associated with Homo habilis.

  • Acheulian Tools: More complex bifacial handaxes developed by H. erectus.

  • Evidence of usage across Africa, Asia, and Europe, with the oldest Acheulian tools dating back to 1.4 Ma.

  • Movius Line:

  • Represents geographic division in tool technologies:

    • West: Acheulian tools.

    • East: Oldowan-like tools, possibly due to available materials like bamboo.

H. erectus Extinction

  • Timeline:

  • Existed from approximately 1.8 mya to ~40,000 years ago.

  • Migration Patterns:

  • Spread across continents from Africa to Europe and East Asia before extinction.

Conclusion and Future Topics

  • Next lecture to cover subsequent developments in the Genus Homo and insights from Lab 9 scheduled for March 13/14.