Homo erectus is one of the earliest occurrences of the homo genus, and therefore one of the species that contributed to the evolution of the modern Homo sapiens. This species was a great step in this evolutionary progression. Homo erectus is now widely known to have developed in Africa about 1.8 million years ago in eastern Africa, and has been conjectured to have lived beside other Homo such as Homo habilis.
Homo erectus was a huge evolutionary step for several reasons. They were known to have used fire and stone tools. These tools became more refined over time, and different shapes and points were manufactured and used. Also, there has been evidence found that Homo erectus possessed more developed agriculture skills than their predecessors, being the first known group to methodically hunt and butcher animals, and they also transported foods further distances than their ancestors. This was likely a huge contributor to the fact that Homo erectus was the first hominid to travel out of Africa.
The physical characteristics found in Homo erectus show the progression of characteristics that has so far culminated at modern humans. These fossils showed an increase in cranial capacity to about 900 cm3, quite advanced when compared to the 500 – 800 cm3 shown in slightly earlier Homo. Homo erectus also showed a progression toward a larger body size, with an increase in height and weight. More specifically, the cranium of Homo erectus was distinctive from that of its ancestors due to projected brow ridges and nuchal torus, as well as a low forehead and large back teeth. Homo erectus also showed a shortening of the forearm, making the limb proportions of this species quite close to that of modern humans. It was the first hominid to show signs of an external nose with downward pointing nostrils. On a related note, Homo erectus was quite sexually dimorphic, with males being slightly taller and heavier than females.
Anthropologists have concluded that Homo erectus first evolved from earlier Homo in Africa. This is based on the findings of fossils dating between two and 1.8 million years ago around the area of East Turkana, Kenya. Other Homo erectus fossils have been found in other areas of Africa, such as Olduvai Gorge and Nariokotome, Kenya.
One of the most significant fossils of Homo erectus was found in Nariokotome. Found in 1984, the fossil called WT 15000 is the most complete skeleton of Homo erectus that has been found to date. WT 15000 was a male of about twelve years of age, and would have been about average in cranial capacity for Homo erectus, but it is postulated that he would have been over six feet tall, a giant in terms of the normal height of his species. Also worth noting, it is said that discounting the shape of the head, this specimen would have been robust, and would have had a great deal of resemblance in comparison to modern humans.
One of the distinguishing factors that make Homo erectus fascinating is all the mystery surrounding its apparent traversal of the continents. Because of the dates of the fossils found, Homo erectus is said to have first evolved in Africa almost two million years ago, though fossils of Homo erectus dating to only 1.6 million years ago have been found in Indonesia and the Caucus regions. This suggests that Homo erectus was able to expand to these areas from Eastern Africa in only 200,000 years.
There is an ongoing debate, however, concerning the classification of all the fossils said to be Homo erectus. Some anthropologists argue that the earlier fossils found in Africa should not be classified as Homo erectus, but instead propose the name Homo ergaster. These anthropologists usually hold to the belief that the Asian and later African Homo erectus went on to evolve into modern humans, while the species they have deemed as Homo ergaster branched from Africa to Asia, where it went extinct.
Sources:
David Kreger, “Homo Erectus.” Archaeologyinfo.com.
“Homo Erectus.” Stanford University
