Time of Existence
Homo erectus is an extinct species of hominin that lived throughout most of the Pleistocene, with the earliest first fossil evidence dating to around 1.8 million years ago and the most recent to around 143,000 years ago.
Remains of Homo erectus are found throughout Africa and in western and eastern Asia (as far east as the island of Java in Indonesia).
Other fossils, assigned by some scholars to this species, have been found in Europe, as far north as England. Homo erectus had a long tenure; the earliest Homo erectus fossils are dated to roughly 1.8 million years ago, while the earliest fossils assigned to this species date to roughly 300 thousand years ago (ka).
Homo erectus is important to the study of human evolution because it is the first species to be found outside of Africa and displayed many anatomical features (especially brain size and aspects of the postcranial skeleton—i.e., the parts of the skeleton below the head) that reflect evolution toward the pattern seen in Homo sapiens.
Homo erectus were very successful in creating cultural technologies that allowed them to adapt to new environmental opportunities. They were true pioneers in developing human culture and in expanding their geographic range beyond Africa to populate tropical and subtropical zones elsewhere in the Old World. This territorial expansion most likely began around 1.8-1.7 million years ago, coinciding with progressively cooler global temperatures. Surprisingly, however, Homo erectus remained little changed anatomically until about 800,000 years ago. After that time, there apparently were evolutionary developments in features of the head that would become characteristic of modern humans. By half a million years ago, some Homo erectus were able to move into the seasonally cold temperate zones of Asia and Europe. This migration was made possible by greater intelligence and new cultural technologies, probably including better hunting skills and the ability to create fire.
The Essay on Homo Erectus
Homo erectus. Homo erectus (straight walking people) lived in the period from 2 million until 400 thousand years ago. There is a version, that they first ... at different times in different areas. (2) Definitely the specie of Homo erectus in our direct ancestor, this can be seen from the ... of the Ancient World. Eugen Dubois found the first fossils of this specie in the end of XIX century on Java Island ...
Location of Existence
The earliest Homo erectus were contemporaries of the late Homo habilis in East Africa for several hundred thousand years. This suggests that the immediate ancestor of Homo erectus was an early Homo habilis or possibly another yet to be discovered species of early humans. Homo erectus was a very successful human species, lasting at least 1.5 million years, though their numbers apparently remained relatively low. Some of them eventually evolved into our species, Homo sapiens click this icon to hear the preceding term pronounced. That evolutionary transition was well under way by 400,000 years ago but was not complete until 200,000-100,000 years ago and possibly even later in some regions.
This species was widely disbursed in the time frame of 1.8 – 1 million years ago. They inhabited the regions of southeastern and eastern Asia until approximately 300 000 years ago. Europe, India, China and Indonesia have all yielded evidence of Homo erectus.
Physical Characteristics
Many of the features that distinguish Homo erectus from other hominin species—both earlier and later species—are seen in the skull. The average brain size of Homo erectus is estimated to have been roughly 900 cubic centimeters (cc.), which is larger than Homo habilis, but smaller than that of Homo heidelbergensis and other later forms. The size of the Homo erectus brain is negligibly larger than in Homo habilis when it is considered as in relation to body size—i.e., brain size increased substantially in Homo erectus, but, because body size also increased, the relative size of the Homo erectus brain is not considerably larger than that of Homo habilis. The absolute in brain size, however, caused changes in the brain case; for instance, the braincase is higher than in Homo habilis, but lower than in later hominin species. The Homo erectus braincase is also very long relative to its height, giving the skull a football-shape when viewed from the side. The braincase and the face and jaws of Homo erectus were very heavily built, with thick bones and extreme thickenings along some of the skull sutures (where two skull bones connect).
The Essay on Homo Erectus 3
... 800 cm3 shown in slightly earlier Homo. Homo erectus also showed a progression toward a larger body size, with an increase in height and ... then modern humans. characteristics of Homo erectus are a brain capacity of 800 - 1300 cc, a large face and thick skull, brow ... forehead and large back teeth. Homo erectus also showed a shortening of the forearm, making the limb proportions of this species quite ...
For instance, the browridges were massively built and continuous across the face and large, bony prominences existed in the back of the skull (the occipital torus and angular torus).
Due to these prominences, the cranium of Homo erectus is pentagon-shaped when viewed from behind, with the widest area coinciding with the bottom of the cranium. In addition to their use to define the species, cranial remains have also been used to study the way that Homo erectus grew and developed into adulthood.
Behavioural Characteristics
Characteristics of Homo erectus are a brain capacity of 800 – 1300 cc, a large face and thick skull, brow ridges and a forehead that recedes. “Tukana Boy” was an African discovery, which shows that Homo erectus had a similar body size to humans. The period that this boy lived in was 1.6 million years ago. Being able to construct tools, such as handaxes, was within the capacity of Homo erectus. Homo erectus, according to some studies, made use of fire and occupied caves.
The large body and large brain of H. erectus needed more energy, and thus food, than previous hominins. Larger biological structures, particularly energy-intensive ones like muscles and brains, require greater energy inputs to maintain. Thus, H. erectus is often reconstructed as occupying an intensified ecological niche.
The intensified niche goes hand in hand with the expansion in brain and body size. Larger bodies, and longer limbs in particular, increase locomotor efficiency (Pontzer et al. 2010).
The Essay on Lactic Acid Exercise Body Energy
Exercise: Distance Treadmill Running When we are challenged with any physical task, the human body responds through a series of integrated changes in function that involve most, if not all, of its physiologic systems. Movement requires activation and control of the musculo skeletal system; the cardiovascular and respiratory systems provide the ability to sustain this movement over extended ...
Homo erectus could cover more ground on a day-to-day basis, through walking or running, than smaller hominins and with lower energy cost. In addition, the larger brain gave these hominins better capabilities for processing complex ecological information across the more expansive terrain containing higher quality food items.
