ANTA01H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Olduvai Gorge, Homo Habilis, Torse
Lecture 8- The First Dispersal of the Genus Homo : Homo erectus and Contemporaries
Early Hominin Lifeways
Australopithecus lived on land and in forest.
Growth and development patterns are more ape like.
Except for early members of Homo, there’s little evidence of evolutionary trend of
increased body size, or greater encephalization & tool use
As inferred by dental patterns, all early hominins show an accelerated growth and
development pattern (similar to that seen in African apes), one quite different from the
delayed growth and development pattern characteristic of Homo sapiens (and our
immediate precursors)
First Dispersal of the Hominins
This hominin expanded out of Africa and lives more on land.
There traits are very different from homo erectus that evolved 2.8 million years ago.
Homo ergaster is homo erectus however it only lived in Africa.
Much larger brain than homo hablilis and more robust (brow ridges) and the overall
body.
Major Homo erectus Sites
After 2 million years we see homo erectus in Asia, Eastern and Western Europe.
Before 1.8 million years there is no Homo erectus outside of Africa.
The Morphology of Homo erectus
Brain size- 300 cubic cm larger.
Homo erectus is a bigger, faster, smarter hominin.
Chimpanzee has shorts legs relative to torso. While humans have long legs relative to
torso.
Humans are in the 1300 to 1400 range.
Thick cranial bone, large brow ridges (supraorbital tori), and projecting nuchal torus
(projection of bone in the back of the cranium where neck muscles attach; used to hold
up the head)
Braincase long and low with little forehead development
Cranium wider at base, compared with earlier and later species
Sagittal keel, a small ridge from front to back along the sagittal suture, reflects bone
buttressing in a very robust skull rather than a specific function
Cranial Morphology of Homo erectus
Pronounced browridges. Does not have high forehead.
Nuchal torus is muscle attachments to head and neck to body.
Sagittal keel similar to sagittal crest but there for muscle attachment. Key trait!
Larger molar teeth than modern human teeth.
Base of skull is wider at the bottom than the ears. In humans, it is opposite.
The Geographical Range of Homo erectus: Homo erectus from Africa
Homo erectus evolved first in Africa, evidenced by:
Earlier hominins prior to the appearance of H. erectus
occurring in Africa
1.7-1.8 mya fossils at East Turkana, in Kenya, and not long after at other sites in East
Africa
1.8 mya populations in southeastern Europe
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Document Summary
Australopithecus lived on land and in forest. Growth and development patterns are more ape like. Except for early members of homo, there"s little evidence of evolutionary trend of increased body size, or greater encephalization & tool use. This hominin expanded out of africa and lives more on land. There traits are very different from homo erectus that evolved 2. 8 million years ago. Homo ergaster is homo erectus however it only lived in africa. Much larger brain than homo hablilis and more robust (brow ridges) and the overall body. After 2 million years we see homo erectus in asia, eastern and western europe. Before 1. 8 million years there is no homo erectus outside of africa. Homo erectus is a bigger, faster, smarter hominin. Chimpanzee has shorts legs relative to torso. While humans have long legs relative to torso. Humans are in the 1300 to 1400 range.
