Homo erectus and Neanderthals

Question 1

H. erectus find span

Answer 1

1.8 mya to 200 kya in Africa, Europe and Asia (first hominin to migrate out of Africa)

Question 2

H. erectus vs Australopithecus

Answer 2

Longer legs, thinner arms and larger brains

Question 3

H. erectus tools

Answer 3

Acheulean tool industry

Question 4

Acheulean tool industry

Answer 4

Versatile hand axe which required skill, knowledge of raw materials, forethought and mapping a mental template. Enables wider food base

Question 5

H. erectus cranial capacity

Answer 5

900 cc, accompanied by a decrease in masticatory apparatus

Question 6

H. erectus food

Answer 6

Hunter or at least a competitive scavenger, possible control of fire allowing for cooking. Increased consumption of animal protein and intensive food processing to compensate for masticatory decrease

Question 7

Wonderwerk, South Africa

Answer 7

1 mya, microscopic burnt wood fragments and heat treated bone fragments discovered in a cave

Question 8

Gesher Benot Ya’aqov (GBY), Jordan Valley, Israel

Answer 8

780 kya, spatially concentrated burnt flint flake clusters in multiple living floors

Question 9

H. erectus in South East Asia

Answer 9

Hand axes absent, possible that absence is due to the use of perishable bamboo as a raw material for tool production that left no archaeological record

Question 10

Homo erectus running

Answer 10

Endurance runner, decreased hair allowed for the ability to sweat and allow H. erectus to remain cool while running during the hottest part of the day

Question 11

H. erectus split

Answer 11

Early appearing H. ergaster and later appearing H. erectus

Question 12

Turkana Boy

Answer 12

Lake Turkana in the Rift Valley of Africa, found by Richard and Maeve Leakey. Most complete specimen enables good biomechanical reconstruction, tall, 5’3”. Over 1.5 mya, boy estimated to be 8 to 14 or 15

Question 13

Dmanisi, Georgian Republic

Answer 13

H. erectus evidence as early as 1.8 mya. Four skulls recovered with numerous post cranial remains. Short, 4’6” and less derived than Turkana Boy with ape-like shoulders. Oldowan tool industry

Question 14

Trinil, Java, Indonesia

Answer 14

1891, first discovery of H. erectus by Dutch Surgeon Eugene Dubois, named species Pithecanthropus erectus (upright standing ape man), absence of stone tools

Question 15

Zhukudian, China

Answer 15

1926, Canadian paleoanthropologist identified 12 stratified layers dated between 700,000-200,000 BP, 6 skulls caps, 12 skull fragments, and 157 teeth. Showed evidence of increased cranial capacity. Fossils lost during 1937 war with China and Japan

Question 16

Island of Flores, Indonesia

Answer 16

2003, new species Homo floresiensis between 95-12 kya. Exceptionally short with small cranial capacity. May have evolved from H. erectus or a more archaic hominin that left Africa earlier than currently known

Question 17

H. heidelbergensis

Answer 17

Predecessor of Neanderthals. Exact location unclear, presence included Eurasia and Africa. Occupied temperate regions between 500-200 kya

Question 18

H. neanderthalensis spread

Answer 18

Middle Paleolithic, distribution between Western Europe and Central Asia to east of Siberia. ca. 130,000-42,000 BP

Question 19

Feldhofer Grotto in Neandertal Valley, Germany

Answer 19

1863, William King determines skull found represents a new species, Neanderthals

Question 20

Chapelle-aux Saints, France

Answer 20

1908, Marcellin Boule studies complete skeletal burial of an elderly Neanderthal. Suffered deformations due to arthritis, depicted Neanderthals as ugly and brutish

Question 21

Neanderthal anatomical features

Answer 21

Slightly larger cranial capacity than modern humans, long low skull with large brow ridges, large eye obits, large nasal cavity and no chin. Very muscular with thick, robust bones. Short distal limbs for heat retention. Barrel chested with a larger pubic bone and exceptionally strong hands. Often evidence of arthritis

Question 22

Neanderthal hunting

Answer 22

Serious hunters associated with Middle Paleolithic tool technology. Close quarters hunting with spears and not projectiles led to many injuries. Extreme tooth wear due to processing of hide. Nitrogen isotope suggests strong emphasis on terrestrial high-rank prey instead of easily smaller prey

Question 23

Neanderthal plant use

Answer 23

Microbotanical remains from dental calculus indicates consumption of cooked foods and plants including cereals, legumes and date palm

Question 24

Neanderthal intentional burials

Answer 24

Identified at Kebara, Israel; Shanidar, Iraq; La Ferraissie, France and many others. Implies a level of group caring and complex social relationships

Question 25

Neanderthal patrilocal mating

Answer 25

Neanderthal women left their family groups and joined existing family groups led by men

Question 26

Neanderthal genetics

Answer 26

Evidence of interbreeding between modern humans, associated with lighter skin pigmentation

Question 27

Out of Africa 2 model

Answer 27

Homo sapiens evolved in Africa and expanded, replacing other archaic humans, highly supported

Question 28

Multi-regional hypothesis

Answer 28

Homo erectus evolved in East Africa and migrated into Eurasia, evolution continued and gene flow between different populations in each region allowed for evolution of Homo sapiens, highly refuted