1. Chapter 9
The Earliest Dispersal of the Genus Homo: Homo erectus and Contemporaries

2. Chapter Outline A New Kind of Hominin The Morphology of Homo erectus
The First Homo erectus: Homo erectus from Africa
Who Were the Earliest African Emigrants?
Homo erectus from Indonesia

3. Chapter Outline Homo erectus from China
Asian and African Homo erectus: A Comparison
Later Homo erectus from Europe
Technological Trends in Homo erectus
Seeing the Big Picture: Interpretations of Homo erectus

4. Focus Question
In a general way, how does the adaptive pattern of Homo erectus differ from earlier hominins?

5. First Dispersal of the Hominins
Close to 2 million years ago, hominins expanded out of Africa into other areas of the Old World.
Since the early hominin fossils have been found only in Africa, it seems that hominins were restricted to this continent for as long as 5 million years.

6. First Dispersal of the Hominins
The later, more widely dispersed hominins were larger, more committed to a terrestrial habitat and used elaborate stone tools.
There is some variation among the different geographical groups of these hominins, and anthropologists still debate how to classify them.

7. First Dispersal of the Hominins
After 2 mya, there’s less diversity in these hominins than in their pre-australopith and australopith predecessors.
There is universal agreement that the hominins found outside of Africa are members of genus Homo.
Homo erectus is the species for which there is the most evidence.

9. Homo erectus – A New Kind of Hominin
The first hominin to expand into new regions of the Old World.
As a species, H. erectus existed over 1 million years.
We can understand its success as a hominid species based on behavioral capacities (i.e. more elaborate tool use) and physical changes (i.e. larger).

10. Homo erectus
Discoveries from East Africa have established Homo erectus by 1.7 m.y.a.
Some researchers see anatomical differences between the African and Asian discoveries.
They place African fossils into the Homo ergaster species.
Analyses show that H. erectus/ergaster represents closely related species and possibly geographical varieties of a single species

11. Adaptive Shift
H.erectus hominins represent a different grade of evolution than their African predecessors.
Grade refers to a grouping of organisms sharing a similar adaptive pattern.
Increase in body size and robustness
Changes in limb proportions
Greater encephalization

12. Morphology of Homo erectus
Living in different environments over much of the Old World, H. erectus populations shared several common physical traits included in the following list:

13. Body Size
Adult weight >100 lbs, average adult height of ca. 5 feet 6 inches
Sexually dimorphic, weight and height varied according to sex
Increased robusticity (heavily built body) that dominated hominin evolution until anatomically modern H. sapiens

14. Brain Size Cranial capacities 700 cm3 to 1250 cm3
Brain size closely linked with overall body size
H. erectus is larger-bodied than early Homo sample but relative brain size is about the same
Relative brain size of H. erectus is considerably less encephalized than later members of genus Homo

15. Cranial Shape
Thick cranial bone, large browridges (supraorbital tori), and projecting nuchal torus
Braincase long and low, with little forehead development
Cranium wider at base, compared with earlier and later species
Sagittal keel, a small ridge from front to back along the sagittal suture, reflects bone buttressing in a very robust skull, rather than a specific function

16. Nuchal Torus
A projection of bone in the back of the cranium where neck muscles attach; used to hold up the head.

18. Homo erectus from Africa
Homo erectus evolved first in Africa, supported by evidence of:
Earlier hominins prior to the appearance of H. erectus occurring in Africa.
1.7 mya fossils at East Turkana, in Kenya, and not long after at other sites in East Africa.
Though, 1.8 mya populations in southeastern Europe; 1.6 mya populations in Indonesia, suggesting quick migrations

19. The First Homo erectus: Homo erectus from Africa
The earliest H. erectus fossils come from East Turkana, from the same area where earlier australopith and early Homo fossils have been found.
It seems likely that in East Africa around 2.0 –1.8 mya, some form of early Homo evolved into H. erectus.

20. Small Cranium from East Turkana
Thee smallest cranium of any H. erectus from anywhere in Africa.
Dated at 1.5 mya, the skull has a cranial capacity of only 691 cm3.
The skull shows more gracile features than other East African H. erectus individuals.
It’s been proposed that this find is a female.

22. Nariokotome Skeleton WT 15000
In 1984, Kamoya Kimeu discovered a small piece of skull on the west side of Lake Turkana at the site known as Nariokotome.
The excavations produced the most complete H. erectus skeleton ever found
Facial bones, a pelvis, and most of the limb bones, ribs, and vertebrae.

23. Nariokotome Skeleton
The Nariokotome skeleton is dated to about 1.6 mya.
The skeleton is that of a boy about 12 years of age with an estimated height of 5 feet 3 inches.

24. Olduvai Gorge
Find by Louis Leakey in 1960, includes well- preserved cranial vault with small part of upper face.
Dated at 1.4 mya, the cranial capacity is the largest of all the African H. erectus specimens.
The browridge is the largest known for any hominin, but the walls of the braincase are thin.
Similar to East African H. erectus specimens; differs from thick cranial bones in Asian H. erectus.

25. Gona Evidence Ethiopia find dated to appx. 1.3 mya
Female pelvis with very wide birth canal, indicating large-brained infants in utero
Perhaps newborn H. erectus with a brain that was comparable to typical modern human baby
Suggests, when compared with Nariokotome pelvis, considerable sexual dimorphism in skeletal anatomy is linked to reproduction and body size

26. Daka Evidence Middle Awash of Ethiopia find dated to appx. 1 mya
Complete cranium more like Asian H. erectus than most earlier East African remains discussed
Discounts argument that East African fossils are different species than Asian H. erectus

27. The Earliest African Emigrants?
Evolved in Africa about 2.0 mya
A greater range of physical variation in specimens outside of Africa at about 1.8 mya
Reached Java, Indonesia by 1.6 mya
Equates to less than 200,000 years to travel from East Africa to Southeast Asia

28. The Dmanisi Hominins
The discovery of the Dmanisi materials in Republic of Georgia began in the early 1990s.
The most informative specimens are four well- preserved crania, with one recently discovered being almost complete.
The remains are the best-preserved hominins of this age found anywhere outside of Africa.

29. The Dmanisi Hominins
The most complete specimen has a less robust and thinner browridge, a projecting lower face, and a large upper canine.
All three Dmanisi crania have small cranial capacities.
A number of stone tools, similar to Olduwan industry from Africa, have been recovered at Dmanisi.
Remains from four individuals allows comparisons with H. erectus from other areas

30. Diagnostic Characteristics
Estimated height ranging from ca 4 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 5 inches, smaller than full H. erectus specimens from East Africa or Asia
Body proportions, however, similar to H. erectus (and H. sapiens) and different from earlier hominins

31. Possibilities Raised by the Dmansi Discoveries
First hominins to leave Africa were small-bodied early form of H. erectus, with smaller brains than later forms and carrying a typical African Oldowan stone tool culture
These hominins had none of the adaptations hypothesized to be essential to hominin migration: tall and relative large brains
Perhaps two migrations out of Africa at the time: small- brained, short-statured Dmanisi hominins and large, robust body build of H. erectus populations of Java and China

33. Elderly hominin?

34. Homo Erectus from Indonesia
Six sites in eastern Java, dating from 1.6 mya to 1 mya, during the Early to Middle Pleistocene.
The Ngandong individuals date from 27,000 ya.

35. Pleistocene The epoch of the Cenozoic from 1.8 mya until 10,000 ya.
Frequently referred to as the Ice Age, this epoch is associated with continental glaciations in northern latitudes.

36. Trinil Skullcap
The famous Trinil skullcap found by Eugene Dubois in Java.

37. Homo erectus from China
40 male and female adults and children near Beijing, at Zhoukoudian, excavated beginning in 1920s.
14 skullcaps, other cranial pieces, more than 100 isolated teeth, and scattering of postcranial remains

38. Zhoukoudian Homo erectus
Interpretations for this range from ritualistic treatment or cannibalism to the suggestion that the H. erectus remains are the leftovers of the meals of giant hyenas.
Cultural remains of more than100,000 artifacts indicate site occupation of several thousand years
Lack of evidence of the control of fire and suggestive evidence of bone accumulation of carnivores cast doubt on whether the cave was home or hearth

39. Cultural Remains

40. Lantian cranial remains
Reconstructed cranium of Homo erectus from Lantian, China, dated to approximately 1.15 mya.
Two adult females in association with fire-treated pebbles and flakes
Mandible with several teeth similar to those at Zhoukoudian

41. Yunxian County remains
Date 800, ,000 ya, at similar age to Zhoukoudian
Restored crania using imaging techniques allows comparative analysis
Fauna and paleonevironmental analysis suggests limited hunting of young and old animals

42. Hexian cranial remains
Closely related to Zhoukoudian finds, but later

43. Asian and African Homo erectus: A Comparison
African-less robust cranial specimens
Asian-more robust cranial specimens
However, Daka cranium from Ethiopia looks like Asian forms and suggest Homo erectus a widely distributed single species

44. Later Homo erectus from Europe
Atapuerca region in northern Spain, 1.2 mya
partial jaw with few teeth;closely resembles Dmanisi fossils; simple flake tools and animal bones
Gran Dolina, dated to appx 850, ,000 ya
Assigning the fossils to a particular species is problematic, based on the fragmentary nature of the remains
Spanish paleoanthropologists place these hominins into a species called Homo antecessor

45. Ceprano Homo Erectus Cranium
From central Italy, provisionally dated to 800,000–900,000 ya.
A specimin close to H. erectus, or perhaps a different species

46. Homo erectus Timeline

47. Technological Trends in Homo erectus
Expansion of the brain enabled H. erectus to develop sophisticated tools that span two stone tool industries: Oldowan and Acheulian
Biface - stone worked on both sides and used to cut, scrape, pound, and dig.
Raw materials transported more consistently and for longer distances
Suggests foresight: knew they needed a stone tool in the future and carried what they regarded as useful

48. Acheulian
Pertaining to a stone tool industry from the Lower and Middle Pleistocene.
Characterized by a large proportion of bifacial tools (flaked on both sides).
Multifunctional tools, including uses for butchery

49. Acheulian Biface
A basic tool of the Acheulian tradition.

50. Seeing the Connections: Interpretations of Homo erectus
Parts of earlier hypotheses are not fully accurate
Some early emigrants from Africa do not show entire suite of H. erectus physical and behavioral traits
It is tempting to conclude that more than one type of closely associated hominin is represented at Dmanisi
Broad intraspecific variation among some hominins
Well-established populations were dispersed in Africa and Europe in Late Pleistocene

51. Seeing the Connections: Interpretations of Homo erectus
Longer limbs and more efficient bipedalism
Cranial capacity nearer to that of Homo sapiens
Efficient scavenger
“hominin evolution to human evolution”

52. Why It Matters Question:
Increased meat consumption may have that led to increased brain and body size in Homo erectus and, ultimately, to geographical expansion.
Do modern humans have to eat meat in order to maintain healthy brains and bodies?

53. Why It Matters
Answer:
To allow for evolutionary increases in brain size, our ancestors would have had to find foods with greater nutrients per unit of weight.
The food category with the greatest amount of nutrients per weight is animal protein.
The pattern of amino acids humans need for good health matches the pattern found in animal protein.

54. Why It Matters
Answer:
Animal products today are higher in fat and have higher monetary and environmental costs.
It’s probably fine for humans to be vegetarian if plant foods are combined to approximate the amino acid content of animal protein.
Homo erectus, with a large brain, may have been the first ancestor to rely on appreciable amounts of animal protein, and descendants continue the pattern of nutrients required to maintain it

55. Quick Quiz

56. 1. The most obvious feature of Homo erectus that differs from both early Homo and Homo sapiens is _____________ size.

57. Answer: cranial
The most obvious feature of Homo erectus that differs from both early Homo and Homo sapiens is cranial size.

58. 2. The fossil remains at Zhoukoudian were unique because they
belonged to 40 adults and children
Provided a good overall picture of Chinese H. erectus
Were lost during the American evacuation of China at the start of WWII and were studied from casts made immediately upon discovery
all of these choices

59. Answer: d
All of these choices

60. 3. Discoveries in Dmanisi in the Republic of Georgia have pushed back the time frame for hominins in Europe.
True
False

61. Answer: True
Discoveries in Dmanisi in the Republic of Georgia have pushed back the time frame for hominins in Europe.

62. 4. The Gona pelvis remains suggests a newborn H
4. The Gona pelvis remains suggests a newborn H. erectus could have had a brain that was almost as large as what is typical for modern human babies.
True
False

63. Answer: True
The pelvis has a very wide birth canal indicating that quite large-brained infants could have developed in utero.

64. 5. Compared to earlier members of the genus Homo, Homo erectus was
smaller overall.
larger overall.
more or less the same size.
varied.

65. Answer: b
Compared to earlier members of the genus Homo, Homo erectus was larger overall.