Rise of *Homo Erectus* - Out of Africa

Question 1

Sensu lato

H. erectus, H. ergaster

Answer 1

T: 1.8 mya - 30 kya
cranial cap ~ 880 cm^3
can lump erectus & ergaster

Question 2

Pleistocene Climate Oscillation

Answer 2

• colder more variable climate
• makred by repeated glacial cycles
• huge volumes of water in continental ice sheets
• ## exposed land bridges connecting continents

T: 1.8 - 10 kya
“Ice Age”

Question 3

H. erectus

traits

skull/ cc

Answer 3

cranium > long, low, flat
sagittal keep
thick brow ridge, unibrow
skull back = pentagon
increase in brain size

Question 4

H. erectus

traits

face

Answer 4

broad, flat face
less prog. than H. habilis
projecting nose like modern human (nasal aperture facing down)

Question 5

H. erectus

traits

dentition

Answer 5

size reduction in all teeth
esp. molars

Question 6

H. erectus

traits

limbs

Answer 6

modern human like
increased stride > running, like humans
first homo w/ human-like proportions
* fully biped (post crania) - footprint fossils look exactly like modern human footprints

Question 7

Turkana Boy

Answer 7

L: Africa
H. ergaster
adolescent
estimated stature indicates significant increase in overall body size compared to A.

Question 8

difference btwn ergaster and erectus

geographical location

Answer 8

H. ergaster - Africa
H. erectus - Asia

Question 9

trait differences btwn H. erectus and H. ergaster

Answer 9

Erg:
- no sagittal keel
- more rounded cranium top
- cc = 700-1067
- less thick brow ridge

Erec:
- sagittal keel
- receding forehead
- cc = 800-1250

Question 10

Acheulean Tool Industry

Answer 10

T: 1.6 mya - 200 kya
- more sophistcated tech
- intentionally symm. biface
- retouching, soft hammer percussion

Question 11

what is the movious line

Answer 11

line that geographically separates H. erectus populations that developed Acheulean tools and those that didn’t

Question 12

Movious line hyotheses

Answer 12

a. East Asian populations migrated out of Africa b4 Acheulean industry
b. EA populations lost A.C. because no suitable materials

Question 13

fire importance?

Answer 13

cooking, warmth, cave occupation, predator protection

Question 14

why out of Africa?

@ 1.8 mya

Answer 14

• tool increase & cog. cap increase = moving new environ.
• obligate long-range biped
• running after large game
• fire

expansion was earlier, but only visible at 1.8 mya

Question 15

trends in Sensu lato

Answer 15

• cheek teeth reduction
• increased body size
• modern human-like limb proportions (long range biped)
• brain size increase
• Oldowan & Acheulean tools
• fire
• wide geographic distribution out of Africa

Question 16

Homo florensiensis

Answer 16

L: Indonesia
* “Hobbits”, not early Homo or ‘Archaic’ H. sapeins
* no land bridges connected Flores island to mainland Asia, needed boat

Question 17

H. florensiensis traits

physical

Answer 17

• A.-like brain size, more vertical face
• ~3.5 ft tall
• A.-like wrists
• short lower limbs
• flat feet (no arches), long curved toes

Question 18

H. florensiensis traits

behavior

Answer 18

• simple flake stone tools (Oldowan similar)
• evidence of butchery, hunting
• evidence of fire
• found at site w/ diverse fauna

Question 19

H. florensiensis

small, why?

Answer 19

insular dwarfism - reduction in size of large animals when they get isolated in small habitats
* being small in absence of predators - selective adv b/c less resources needed
* observed in many species

Question 20

H. florensiensis

where does it fit?

Answer 20

a. dwarfed lineage of H. erectus
b. descendant of remnant H. habilis or A.?
c. possibly missing lineage from H. habilis to H. sapiens