Lecture 17 - Middle Pleistocene archaic Homo

Question 1

‘archaics’ general info

Answer 1

600 -120 ka
africa, europe, asia

Question 2

H. sapiens vs H. erectus s.l. general traits

Answer 2

sapiens:
* Brain > 1300 cc
* Rounded and high cranium
* Gracile supraciliary ridges
* Chin
* More gracile

erectus s.l.:
* Brain < 1000 cc
* Angular and low cranium
* Supraorbital torus
* No chin
* More robust

Question 3

archaic anatomy

Mauer mandible general info

Answer 3

• Mauer, Germany
• c. 600 ka
• holotype of H. heidelbergensis
• found in 1908
• very robust for an ‘archaic’ but small molars
• no chin

Question 4

archaic anatomy

Arago general info

Answer 4

• Arago cave, Tautavel, France
• c. 400 ka
• often used to ‘complement’ Mauer in describing the ‘heidelberg’ type
• also known as ‘Tautavel Man’

Question 5

archaic anatomy

crania traits

Answer 5

• relatively large brain size (1200 cc)
• intermediate robustness
• intermediate cranial morphology
• projecting face
• large separate ridges above the orbits

Question 6

archaic anatomy

postcrania traits

Answer 6

• fairly modern
• tend to be large and robust -> may be primitive & link to Neanderthals
• tend to have flared ilia and large pubis

Question 7

archiac range

what evidence is there from Europe (generally)?

Answer 7

• large number of specimens coming from different regions of europe
• many show clear similarities with Neanderthals

Question 8

specimen

Africa: Kabwe 1

Answer 8

• Broken Hill mine in Kabwe, Zambia (C/S Africa)
• found in 1921, then dated to c. 500 ks
• reanalysis in 2020 dates it to c. 299 ka

Question 9

specimen

Africa: Bodo

Answer 9

• Bodo, Ethiopia
• c. 600 ka
• oldest ‘archaic’ found
• 1300 cc
• projecting face

Question 10

specimen

Asian: Dali

Answer 10

• Dali, China
• ca. 200 Ka
• 1120 cc
• found in China and perhaps Indonesia
• few can be reliably dated

Question 11

Atapuerca sites

what are the Atapuerca sites

Answer 11

• Atapuerca mountains, Spain
• discovered in 1960s
• Bronze Age populations
• Older layers discovered in the 1980s

Question 12

Atapuerca sites

what was found at Gran Dolina

Answer 12

• c. 750-850 ka
• means ‘pioneer’ or ‘settler’
• early H. heidelbergensis
• perhaps ancestor of both H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis
• modern-looking face combined with primitive tooth crowns and roots

Question 13

Atapuerca sites

what was discovered in Sima de los Huesos

Answer 13

• ‘pit of bones’ - 43 ft deep
• dozens of individuals hominins (and carnivores)
• taphonomy still investigated
• one hand axe found also

Question 14

Atapuerca sites

what do we know about the SH hominins

Answer 14

• c. 350-430 ka
• ~28 individuals, 5k + specimens
• sexual dimorphism is modern human-like
• unprecedented preservation: ear ossicles and distal pedal phalanges
• crania mean 1200 cc

Question 15

Atapuerca sites

Miguelon (SH Skull 5) traits

Answer 15

• adult male
• teeth were broken in like

Question 16

Atapuerca sites

SH hominin pelvis

Answer 16

• particularly robust and broad
• marked iliac flare

Question 17

SH similarities with Neanderthals

Answer 17

• Neanderthal derived traits (esp, related to masticatory apparatus)
• some differences highlighted in this SH cranium
• for this reason, some experts argue that SH hominins should be placed within Neanderthals instead of H. heidelbergensis

Question 18

DNA evidence

what DNA evidence is present btwn SH, neanderthals, modern humans

Answer 18

• analysis SH & neanderthals, modern humans
• association shown with Neanderthals –> more derived from neanderthals than sapiens