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Homo erectus is a hominid species that is believed to be
an ancestor of modern humans. The species is found from the middle Pleistocene onwards. It had fairly modern human features, with a larger cranial
capacity than that of Homo habilis. The forehead is less sloping
and the teeth are smaller. Homo erectus would bear a striking resemblance to
modern humans, but had a brain about 74 percent of the size of modern man. These early humans were tall, on average standing
about 1.78 m (5 feet, 10 inches) tall.
Homo erectus also used more diverse and sophisticated tools than its
predecessors. One theory is that H. erectus first used tools of the Oldowan
style and then later used tools of the Acheulean style. The surviving tools from
both periods are all made of stone. Oldowan tools are the oldest known formed tools and date as far back as about 2.4 million
years ago. The Acheulean era began about 1.2 million years ago and ended about 500,000 years ago. The primary innovation
associated with Acheulean handaxes is that the stone was chipped on both sides to form two cutting edges.
Homo erectus (along with Homo ergaster) was probably
the first early human to fit squarely into the category of a hunter and predator and not as prey for larger animals. Early man,
in the person of Homo erectus, was learning to master his environment for the first time.
There is some dispute as to whether H. erectus was able to control fire. However, the earliest (least disputed)
evidence of controlled fire is around 300,000 years old and comes from a site called Terra Amata, which lies on an ancient
beach location on the French
Riviera. This site seems to have been occupied by Homo erectus. There are older Homo erectus sites that
seem to indicate the controlled use of fire, some dating back 500,000 to 1.5 million years ago, in France, China, and other areas. A discovery brought forth at the Paleoanthropology Society Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada in March of 2004
stated that controlled fires have been evidenced in excavations in Northern Israel from
about 690,000 to 790,000 years ago. Regardless, it can at least be surmised that the controlled use of fire was atypical of
Homo erectus until its decline and the rise of more advanced species of the Homo genus came to the
forefront.
Fossils
Existing Homo erectus fossils include:
See also
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