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Homo heidelbergensis (600,000 to 100,000 years ago)
Species Description:
The skulls of this species share features with both Homo
erectus and anatomically modern Homo sapiens. The archaic H.
heidelbergensis brain was larger than H. erectus and smaller than
most modern humans, and the skull is more rounded than in H. erectus.
The skeleton and teeth are usually smaller than in H. erectus, but larger
than in modern humans. Many still have large brow ridges and receding foreheads
and chins. There is no clear dividing line between late H. erectus and
H. heidelbergensis, so many fossils between 500,000 and 200,000 years
ago are difficult to classify as one or the other.
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Fossil Finds:
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Mauer mandible
Estimated age: 700,000 to 400,000 years
Date of discovery: 1907
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
Discovered by gravel pit workers, this find consists of a
lower jaw with a nearly complete set of teeth. The jaw is extremely large and
heavy-boned, like that of Homo erectus, but the teeth are too small
for that species. |
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Petralona 1 (debated)
Estimated age: 500,000 to 250,000 years
Date of discovery: 1969
Location: Petralona, Greece
This is a difficult fossil to classify, given its mixture
of traits. The skull is classified by some scientists as late Homo erectus
and by others as Homo neanderthalensis. The brain size is 1220 cc. --
large for H. erectus, but small for H. sapiens -- and the face is
large, with a particularly wide upper mandible. |
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Tautavel Man (debated)
Estimated age: 400,000 years
Date of discovery: 1971
Location: Arago, France
This skull shows a mixture of features of H.
heidelbergensis and Homo erectus, to which it is sometimes
assigned. It consists of a fairly complete face, with five molars and
part of the brain case. |
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Kabwe Man
Estimated age: 200,000 to 125,000 years
Date of discovery: 1921
Location: Kabwe, Zambia
This complete cranium was very heavy-boned, with large
brow ridges and a receding forehead. The brain size, however, was equal to
that of modern humans. |
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Evidence of Culture:
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Acheulean stone tools (debated)
Estimated age: 500,000 years
Location: Briqueterie, France
Double-sided, teardrop-shaped tools, like this Lanceolate
hand ax, had sharp edges and were sharp enough to slice through tough animal
hides. Whether or not these tools were made by Homo heidelbergensis
is debated. |
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Mousterian stone tools (debated)
Estimated age: 200,000 years
Location: Europe and the Middle East
These tools, found in Europe, are most often associated
with Neanderthals, but elsewhere were made by H. heidelbergensis. |
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Earliest use of fire (debated)
Estimated age: 500,000 years
Location: Throughout Africa, Europe, and western Asia
Homo heidelbergensis almost certainly used fire.
Clear evidence of the controlled use of fire, however, is very difficult to
establish at archaeological sites, so the origin of this practice among
hominids may never be known. |
-> Go to Homo neanderthalensis
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