Chapter 9 Flashcards
Homo heidelbergensis
- Oldest fossil 600,000 ya
- Smaller, seperated brow ridge
- Brain size within range of humans
- Smaller gut size and molars (than previous hominins)
- May have been using fire and cooking food
- Second Homo species to leave Africa (left with Acheulian industry.
Sima de los Huesos, Spain
- Homo heidelbergensis site
- 500,000 to 400,000 ya
- At least 28 individuals found in a pit at the back of deep cave
- Researches believe they were thrown there by members of their species as an early burial practice
- Skulls had neandertal features
Zhoukoudian
-H. Erectus site in China
-750,000 to 400,000 ya
-Oldowan tools found at site
Significance: Shows H. Erectus populations continued to exist in China and overlapped in time with H. Heidelbergensis
H. Floresiensis
-Dates between 100,000 to 60,000 ya
-Found on island of Flores in Indonesia
-Dwarfed size
-Very small brain size with archaic looking skull
-Flat, long foot
-Habitual biped (different gait)
-Result of rapid island dwarfing of H. Erectus on Flores
1 mya
Movius Line
- A theoretical line used to show the distribution of hand axes (bi-faced Acheulean industry) versus choppers (Oldowan)
- Disproved when Chinese archeologists found numerous sites in South China with Acheulean industry
Bose Basin, China
- Archeological site
- Yielded handaxes that are typically Acheulean
- Date between 830,000 to 700,000 ya
Terra Amata
-Acheological site along a French beach
-Believed to be a shelter constructed by H. Heidelbergensis
Incorrect for several reasons:
-Overhead view of site did not reveal some rocks were seperated by as much as 3ft
-Site taphonomy: Natural proccess along beaches work to great effect
Boxgrove
-Excavation site in England
-500,000 ya
-Yieled Acheulian artifacts associated with Homo Heidelbergensis and lots of animal bones
Significance: Evidence that H. Heidelbergensis was butchering large animals
Schoningen
-German excavation site (337,000 to 300,000 ya)
-Wooden spears measuring 1.8–2.3 meters long were found among butchered horse bones
-Most likely used for thrusting (as opposed to throwing)
Significance: Evidence that H. Heidelbergensis were hunters
H. Neanderthalensis
- More robust than modern humans
- Post Crania: Bone crushing grip, bowed femur(from stress), elongated bowl-shaped pelvis
- Noses show adaptation to cold (warmed by striking medial projection)
- Very high rates of trauma (suggests frequent close encouters with dangerous prey)
- Extremely high energy requirements
- Consumed large quantities of meat
- Low genetic diversity, lived in small isolated groups
- Last Neandertal lived 41,000 to 39,000 ya
Allen’s Rule
A warm-bodied mammal that lives in a cold place will have short limbs because this reduces heat loss by reducing surface-to-volume ratios
Note: Short legs of Neandertals
Bergmann’s Rule
A more robust (bulky) body will help with heat conservation because of a smaller surface-to-volume ratio
Note: Barrel-shaped chest of the Neandertal, which reflects their bulky build
Nuclear Winter
Volcanic eruptions resulted in clouds of ash that may have covered Central and Eastern Europe
-Cold stresses (rise in energy requirements) on the bodies of infant and juvenile Neandertals may have slowed their growth and development
