HOMO ERECTUS: ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS, DIET, SKULL - HISTORY - 2024

The Homo erectus was a hominid that lived several areas of the planet during part of the period of the Pleistocene. The oldest specimen was found in Dmanisi, Georgia, dating back about 1.8 million years. The first discovery of a specimen of this species occurred in 1891, on the Asian island of Java, today belonging to Indonesia.

This hominid had a long presence on Earth. There are conflicting opinions about its extinction date. Some anthropologists place it around 300,000 years ago, while others claim that it happened 70,000 years ago. This leads some experts to think that he lived with Homo sapiens, but it is not the most common position today.

Homo erectus facial reconstruction. Source: By Cicero Moraes, from Wikimedia Commons

The origin of Homo erectus is also controversial. In this way, there are those who place it in Africa, although many anthropologists disagree and call the specimens found there with the name of Homo ergaster. Supporters of this position claim that Erectus is native to Asia.

One of the most outstanding characteristics of this hominid was its cranial capacity, superior to that of previous species. One of the main reasons for this change was the discovery of how to handle fire, which made it possible to improve nutrition.

Origin

Homo erectus is one of the ancestors of Homo sapiens. The stage of evolution towards the human being in which Erectus was present is one of those that presents the most unknowns, so several different theories coexist. Thus, one of them dates its appearance 1.8 million years ago, in Africa.

It should be noted that other specialists affirm that the remains found on that continent would be of another similar species, the Ergaster. What everyone agrees on is the fact that with Erectus, hominids become nomads, leaving Africa.

The first finds of Homo erectus took place in East Asia, but remains have also been found in Eurasia. The success of this species can be verified, precisely, in the very remote areas where deposits have been found.

This resulted in slight physical and cultural variations between them, as they had to adapt to the different conditions of each region. For example, the Europe of the time was characterized by its cold climate, something that would have been a big problem if not because of the discovery of fire.

Where he lived

As noted, all experts agree on the nomadic nature of Homo erectus. The evidence found indicates that it was the first hominid to leave Africa. Over many years, it reached as far away as Southeast Asia.

The best known hypothesis indicates that it was able to make this journey using the ice bridges formed during the glaciations. Its expansion caused remains to appear in Indonesia, China, parts of Europe or Central Asia.

Homo erectus erectus - Java Man

Although the scientific name of the species is Homo erectus Erectus, there are those who popularly refer to it as Java Man. The reason was that the first fossil of a specimen was found on that island.

The person responsible for the discovery was the Dutch doctor Eugène Dubois. Like many scientists at the time, the late nineteenth century, Dubois believed in the existence of the so-called "missing link." This was the name of the species that, in theory, separated the existence of less developed hominids and Homo sapiens.

In this way, he made an expedition between 1891 and 1892 on the Island of Java (Indonesia). Dubois thought he had found the aforementioned link when he found some remains. These were more similar to those of modern man than the fossils previously found, so he immediately understood that it was a more advanced species.

At first, he named the new species Pithecanthropus erectus (upright ape-man), although everyone called him Java Man.

A few decades later, in 1930, other paleontologists found new remains in nearby areas. In 1940 is when, definitively, it was given the current name: Homo erectus.

Homo erectus pekinensis - Peking Men

A new expedition to find the famous "missing link" led to a new discovery of Homo erectus. This time it was near Beijing, the capital of China.

The remains belonged to a subspecies, with an estimated age of between 500,000 and 250,000 million years. For a long time it was thought that, given the characteristics of the bones found, if it could be the passage between Homo sapiens and their ancestors.

In a way, something frequent at that time, it was sought to confirm the theory of evolution.

Homo erectus soloensis - Solo Men

A new subspecies appeared in Ngandong, near the Solo River (Java). In this case, the classification has not yet been confirmed, although the majority agree that it belongs to the species.

Homo erectus yuanmouensis - Yuanmou Man

The remains of the so-called Yuanmou man (Homo erectus yuanmouensis) were named after the Chinese district in which it was found in 1965.

The study of the fossilized teeth of this hominid led experts to date its age at about 1.7 million years. In this way, it is an older specimen than in Beijing and than another that appeared in Lantian.

Homo ergaster

Homo ergaster stars in the great discrepancy among experts in this field. Scientists are divided on whether to include them in the Erectus species or to catalog it as a different species.

It is known that it lived in Africa between 2 and 1 million years in the past. Its resemblance to Homo erectus is very great, although the relationship between them is not one hundred percent clear. At present, it seems that the position of considering them different species has some more support, but it is far from being unanimous.

Physical and biological characteristics

As with all fossil remains, it is not easy to determine the physical and biological characteristics. Scientists take into account various parameters to make approximations, especially the height or how the skull was. The teeth, for example, give very important information about diet and other vital habits.

In this case, we must add the existence of several subspecies, with slightly different characteristics. There are, however, some traits of Homo erectus that seem widely accepted.

General features

Not much is known about the skin of Homo erectus. It is known that it had sweat glands, but not if it was thin or thick.

In terms of bones, Homo erectus had a pelvis similar to that of today's human being in structure. However, it was larger and stronger.

Something similar happened with the femur, easier to study as more remains had appeared. Apart from its superior sizes, certain marks of the insertion of the muscles indicate that the body was strong and robust.

Homo erectus, as its name suggests, was bipedal and walked in a similar way to Homo sapiens. At first it was thought that the average height of the males was small, about 1.67 meters.

However, new remains have changed that thinking. Now it is estimated that an adult could reach 1.8 meters in height, more than previous hominids.

Skull

The Homo erectus jaw was also quite strong, although it had no chin. The teeth were small, a fact that has attracted a lot of attention. Paleontologists have found that, as the body grew larger, the dentition decreased in size.

Likewise, it seems that the muscles of the jaw were also getting smaller and the throat narrower. It is possible that the appearance of the fire and, therefore, the cooked meat that was easier to chew, had this effect.

The Homo erectus skull had three distinctive features. The first was a straight supraorbital bone, although those found in Greece and France do not have that shape. On the other hand, they had a sagittal crest on the skull, more common in Asians. These were also the ones with a fairly thick occipital protrusion.

The language

One of the unanswered questions about Homo erectus is whether it ever used spoken language during its existence. One of the theories about the species indicates that they were the ones who began to use it for the first time, in the communities they were creating.

It is difficult to know, by studying fossils, whether the theory is correct or not. If it seems that biology could support that fact, since they had the brain and oral structures to do it.

A recent study by Daniel Everett, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Bentley University in Massachusetts, gives plausibility to that hypothesis. According to their findings, the first word uttered by a hominid was uttered by a member of the Homo erectus.

Feeding

Food is one of the most interesting aspects in the study of Homo erectus. More specifically, the change that occurred after discovering how to handle fire.

At first, it was an omnivorous species that, to get meat, used to take advantage of the remains of dead animals. In addition, he collected vegetables and grasses, seeking a diet as complete as possible.

The fire

Apart from many other aspects, the beginning of the use of fire greatly affected the feeding of Homo erectus. At first, he used the fire created by natural events, but later he learned how to light it directly. It is thus the first hominid capable of using its advantages.

In the diet, this meant a change when eating meat. Once it was cooked, it was easier to digest, apart from being softer and lasting longer without spoiling.

There is much evidence at the sites that Homo erectus began to hunt and roast its prey. As an example, the skeleton of a 1.6 million-year-old woman was found suffering from hypervitaminosis. This condition occurs from consuming the liver of carnivorous animals, which causes an excess of vitamin A.

Cranial capacity

In general lines, and according to the remains found, Homo erectus had a brain capacity greater than that of its predecessors, but less than that of current Homo sapiens. Thus, its capacity ranged between 1100 and 1200 cubic centimeters. The human being reaches 1600 cubic centimeters.

Beyond these figures, the most notable thing is that there was an increase in said capacity, perhaps due to the improvement of the diet.

Evolution

During the long period that Homo erectus lived on the planet, both its body and its cranial capacity evolved. Older remains tend to have smaller physiques, including skulls.

For example, the oldest were only slightly superior to Australopithecus. From there, Homo erectus jumped to 800 cubic centimeters, a 50% higher.

Lastly, the evolution of Homo erectus continued to augment its brain. Those dated in more recent times already reached more than 1000 cubic centimeters. This is a great change, which should have affected all facets of the life of these hominids, which became more intelligent.

Some experts claim that part of this development was caused by the greater amount of nutrients they ingested after discovering the fire.

Tools they used

The analyzed deposits allow to distinguish different methods to make tools, often based on the resources that they had around them.

The most characteristic tools were those made from stone. Homo erectus surpassed its predecessor, Homo habilis (so called for its ability to make utensils), in the use of the elements it found.

In this way, they were able to start hunting in a more competent way, since they had adequate lethal weapons for it. Thanks to this, they could even capture large animals, which provided food for the entire community or for a longer time.

Hand ax

Among all the tools made by Homo erectus, the hand ax stood out. It was a biface, crafted quite skillfully and practically symmetrical. His preferred material was flint, which was carved with soft hammer elements.

The use of these hammers, usually made of wood, was a revolution. They allowed to make the edges sharper and gain a lot in precision.

Use of shells

Another element found in the deposits and that demonstrates the ability of Homo erectus to make tools are some mussel shells adapted to perform tasks. The ones found date from half a million years ago and were also used as a canvas to make engravings.

Researchers have concluded that handling of the shells demonstrates greater intelligence than other earlier hominins. The technique was complicated, since they had to open the mollusks by piercing the shell with a sharp object, just where the animal's muscle keeps the shell closed.

This requires, according to the experts, enormous expertise, in addition to advanced knowledge of the anatomy of the mussel. Some of those shells were used as knives, as well as to collect liquids and other different uses.

Other tools

Other tools found in the areas inhabited by Homo erectus are the cleft, a flake with a sharp edge. There was also the ball, the scrapers, the perforators and the knives, both flint and shell.

Over time, Homo erectus was perfecting his designs. He showed a special interest in making the tools more durable, looking for more resistant stones. In addition, they were gaining in symmetry, while the size was reduced to make them more manageable and transportable.

It is thought that they could also build some wooden utensils, but, due to the characteristics of this material, none have been found.

The great discovery: fire

Although it is not a tool in itself, the discovery of fire was the main one made by Homo erectus. Obviously, the element itself was already known, but this hominid learned, first, to handle it and, later, he was able to turn it on at will.

Scientists point out that, at first, they possibly took advantage of small fires caused by lightning to achieve this, like the heat caused by a volcano. Later, using rubbing, he was able to provoke it when he needed it.

The importance of this fact affected a multitude of facets. With the fire, Homo erectus felt safer, as it scared off predators. It also allowed him to go out at night.

It was also essential when traveling. As previously noted, Homo erectus spread through Asia and Europe and, in part, the fire offered protection from the cold climate that prevailed in some of these areas.

Similarly, the diet changed. Not only the way of eating, but the cooked food lasted much longer, preventing them from having to hunt at all times. Finally, the use of this element allowed the tools to improve, since its use hardened the materials used.

Society and way of life

The social organization of Homo erectus was based on small groups. They could not be too numerous, as their resources were limited. Normally, the number of components did not exceed 30 people, ensuring that all basic needs were covered.

Sin existed, according to historians, occasional exchanges with other groups. It was a way to exchange information and, in some cases, to avoid inbreeding that could end up weakening them.

Likewise, they could reach occasional alliances to hunt large game. This provided large amounts of food, as well as creating social ties.

References

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