1 Homo erectus : more human-like hominin 1.8 mya-150 kya 2 Homo - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1

Homo erectus : more human-like hominin 1.8 mya-150 kya 2

Homo erectus morphology Cranial Human-like teeth Average CC = 900 cm 3 - Nuchal torus 3

Homo erectus morphology Cranial Human-like teeth Average CC = 900 cm 3 - Nuchal torus Postcranial -Bigger body size ~5'6 4

Homo erectus culture Acheulian tool industry Bifaces (handaxes) -Cores 5

Acheulian tool industry Bifaces (handaxes) -Cores 6

Homo erectus hunting? -Scavengers and persistence hunters -Strategy: Homo erectus used advanced, bipedalism to "walk animals to death." 7

Important H. erectus sites and dates East Africa 1.7-1.6 mya Koobi Fora -Earliest H. erectus Lake Turkana Turkana Boy -5'4 12 year old boy -Ape-like accelerated growth and development 8

Important H. erectus sites and dates Out of Africa 1.7 mya Dmanisi, Rep of Georgia -First H. erectus out of Africa "Old man of Dmanisi" 9

Important Homo erectus sites and dates Asia 1.6-1 mya Java -Rapid migration (< 100,000 years) 10

Important Homo erectus sites and dates Asia (continued) 750-200 kya Zhoukoudian caves, China -45 individuals -100,000 artifacts (stone tools) 11

CHAPTER 10 12

Fire control 1 mya Wonderwerk cave, South Africa -Evidence of controlled fire use 13

Question: Why would using fire benefit us? -Warmth, protection, extends the day Cooking -Less energy to eat cooked meat AND beans, tubers, legumes -Safer and lasts longer (dry meat) -High-value source of calories to fuel energy-hogging brains 14