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Homo erectus is the oldest member of the genus Homo, as well as the earliest member of the human lineage. Unlike other early hominins, H.erectus showcased specific features that made it identical to contemporary humans.
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Keyterms: Homo erectus, genus, Homo, gene, human lineage, cosmopolitan, fossil, specimens
Homo Erectus Introduction
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Homo erectus was found across African, European, Asian, and Indonesian regions. Thus, they were also referred to as the first “cosmopolitan” human lineage. Nonetheless, the oldest fossil discoveries of this species were from Africa, suggesting that it originated there.
Homo erectus is the earliest species in the human heredity to have human-like characteristics. Prior hominins had significant likenesses with living people, similar to bipedality, and H. erectus still had a long way to develop like human beings today.
Features of Homo Erectus
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Early homo erectus species had smaller teeth, a smaller overall size and thinner skulls compared to the later specimens.
Read on to know more about features of Homo Erectus:
Increased Technological/Ecological Fervour
Homo erectus' enormous body and mind required more energy, and consequently more food, than earlier hominins. Bigger natural builds, especially those that burn-through a ton of energy, similar to muscles and cerebrums, require more energy to keep them running.
Enlarged body size
An increase in body size is one of the characteristics most often associated with Homo erectus. At the time of his death, the Nariokotome specimen, an adolescent male, stood over five feet tall. Estimates of his adult size varied depending on how experts estimate his age of death based on his teeth and bones and how much growth he had remaining.
Living humans often undergo a significant increase in growth during early adolescence (i.e., a "growth spurt"), a pattern of growth that some experts believe differentiates us from other primates.
Enlarged body size
Encephalization (Increased Brain Size)
The brain size of hominins grows in lockstep with their physical size. While the mind sizes of the smallest bodied early H. erectus fossils are just somewhat bigger than those of prior hominins (australopiths), early enormous bodied examples, like the Nariokotome individual, have a cerebrum volume more than 800 cm3.
This is in excess of 50% bigger than that of prior australopiths (and around 60% of the commonplace mind size of somebody living today).
Reduction in Post-canine Dentition Size
The shift in ecology linked with H. erectus corresponds to a change in this species' teeth and jaws. H. erectus has much smaller post-canine dentition (premolars and molars) and premolar molarization compared to older australopiths and contemporaneous robust australopiths (Paranthropus).
The corpus of the mandible (the toothless section that links to the skull) also exhibits greater gracility (slenderness), with a distinctive reduction in the relative width of the structure and supporting masticatory structures.
Reduction in Post-canine Dentition Size
Read More: Animal Fibre
Relationship between Homo Erectus and Homo Sapiens
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Several palaeontologists have sought to demonstrate that H. erectus is not a suitable physical progenitor for Homo sapiens by highlighting a contrast between “primitive” and “derived” features in the reconstruction of species relationships.
They claim that H. erectus has derived traits not shared by more contemporary humans because the braincase is long, low, and thick-walled, with a pronounced brow ridge. Although H.erectus and H.sapiens are related, there are considerable distinctions between the two species.
Paleoanthropologists believe this trait improved facial expressions, which may have played a role in social signalling. At the same time, it should be emphasised that Homo sapiens does share some characteristics, such as a rounded, lightly constructed cranium.
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Things to Remember
- Lived: from around 2,000,000 years prior until no less than 250,000 years prior
- Where: Africa, Asia and maybe Europe
- Appearance: human-like body extents and upstanding position, a projecting forehead edge, huge face and no jawline
- Mind size: around 550-1,250cm3
- Tallness: about 1.4-1.8m
- Weight: around 41-65kg
- Diet: meat (at first from rummaging yet later possibly likewise from hunting) and plants
- Species named in: 1893 (as Anthropopithecus erectus, renamed Pithecanthropus erectus in 1894 and Homo erectus in 1950) following its 1891 revelation
- Name signifying: 'upstanding human'
Read More: Scientific Name of Animals and Plants
Sample Questions
Ques. How are homo erectus different from cro-magnon? (1 Mark)
Ans. Homo erectus had their jaws protruding out while the cro- magnon had the feature otherwise.
Ques. The most accepted line of descent in human evolution is
(A) Australopithecus → Ramapithecus → Homo sapiens → Homo habilis
(B) Homo erectus → Homo habilis → Homo sapiens
(C) Ramapithecus → Homo habilis → Homo erectus → Homo sapiens
(D) Australopithecus → Ramapithecus → Homo erectus → Homo habilis → Homo sapiens (3 Marks)
Ans. Ramapithecus appeared about 14-15 million years ago.
Homo habilis appeared about 2 million years ago.
Homo erectus appeared about 1.5 million years ago.
modern man appears about 10,000 years ago.
So, the correct option is Ramapithecus → Homo habilis → Homo erectus → Homo sapiens
Ques. There are two opposing views about the origin of modern man. According to one view, Homo erectus in Asia was the ancestor of modern man. A study of variations of DNA, however, suggested the African origin of modern man. What kind of observation on DNA variations could suggest this? (3 Marks)
Ans. The origin of human races is a much-debated point among scientists studying human evolution. Many scientists argued that different races evolved from Homo erectus independently and that each adapted to a different place-Orientals in Asia, Caucasians in Europe, Aborigines in Australia and so on.
Recently Scientists studying mitochondrial DNA from living humans all over the world have argued that their research shows that all human races originated from one Homo sapiens ancestor in Africa.
So, there are greater variations in Asia than in Africa.
Ques. Who is the direct ancestor of Homo sapiens? (4 Marks)
Ans. Homo erectus sat up straight. In comparison to modern man, his cranium was flat. He had prominent jaws, brow ridges that protruded, tiny canines, and massive molar teeth. Their cranial volume was 900 cc. To accommodate the huge brain, the cranium was dome-shaped.
Dryopithecus gave rise to Ramapithecus in the late Miocene epoch, which is thought to be one of the direct lines of human evolution. They were discovered from the Miocene through the Pliocene epochs. Edward Lewis discovered these fossils in the Pliocene rocks of India's Shivalik hills. Australopithecus is assumed to be the ape-man between apes and humans.
Raymond Dart discovered them in Pliocene rocks near Tuang, Africa. They were responsible for the emergence of Homo habilis. Looking at the above information, Homo erectus are assumed to be closely linked to homo sapiens.
Ques. Trace the important events or stages of human development. (4 Marks)
Ans. The common ancestor of apes and humans is a primate called Dryopithecus, who lived about 15 million years ago.
Australopithecus: They stood 4 feet tall and had a brain size of 500 to 650 cubic centimetres. They walk on two legs, are omnivorous, and have an upright posture. They lived in caves and hunted with stone weapons.
Homo Erectus: They demonstrated an increase in brain size. They hunt well, eat meat, domesticate animals, and discover fire.
Netherlands man : They were short, with heavy brows, a receding brow, huge jaws, and stooping postures. They wore clothes and were skilled hunters and tool makers.
Cromagnonman: They were perfectly upright and 6 feet tall. He lived in a cave and used bones as tools. They are skilled tool builders as well as fine painters.
Homo sapiens: They have a larger brain capacity of 1450cc and a bigger skull. His intelligence has enabled him to adapt and govern his surroundings. He started farming.
Ques. Write two differences between Homo erectus and Homo habilis. (3 Marks)
Ans. Differences between Homo erectus and Homo habilis:
| Homo erectus | Homo habilis |
|---|---|
| Brain capacity is 900 cc. | Brain capacity is 900 cc. |
| Probably ate meat. | Probably ate meat. |
Ques. What were the important features of Homo erectus? (5 Marks)
Ans. Enlarged body size- An increase in body size is one of the characteristics most often associated with Homo erectus. At the time of his death, the Nariokotome specimen, an adolescent male, stood over five feet tall.
Encephalization (increased brain size)- The brain size of hominins grows in lockstep with their physical size (Ruff et al. 1997). While the brain sizes of the smallest-bodied early H. erectus fossils are only slightly larger than those of earlier hominins (australopiths), early large-bodied specimens, such as the Nariokotome individual, have a brain volume greater than 800 cm3.
Increased technological/ecological fervour- H. erectus's big body and intellect demanded relatively greater energy, and hence food, compared to the prior hominins. Larger biological structures, particularly people who consume a plethora of energy, like muscles and brains, require more energy inputs to keep them running. As a result, H. erectus is habitually rebuilt as inhabiting a more specialised ecological niche.
Post-canine dentition size has been reduced- The shift in ecology linked with H. erectus corresponds to a change in this species' teeth and jaws. H. erectus has much smaller post-canine dentition (premolars and molars) and premolar molarization compared to older australopiths and contemporaneous robust australopiths (Paranthropus).
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