Articles tagged with Homo Erectus
Researchers have developed a new technique that pinpoints areas of human DNA inherited from two unknown, ancient ancestors. The study reveals that modern humans interbred with these 'ghost' ancestors and Denisovans in Eurasia around 1.8 million years ago.
Archaeic human parents likely had to provide constant parental care due to deformed head shapes in fossilized humans. Human babies are born less developed than other great apes, requiring specialized care, and this helps explain the origins of cooperative social behaviors.
A new study found evidence of repeated fire use at Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago, revealing that early humans brought naturally occurring fire into the cave and maintained it. The findings provide new insights into how our ancestors first began to harness fire.
Scientists have discovered two genetic mutations in H. erectus fossils, revealing links to modern humans and Denisovans. The findings provide insights into the evolutionary history of H. erectus and its potential connections to present-day human populations.
A 140,000-year-old child's skeleton from Israel reveals biological ties between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens through unique morphological traits. The discovery confirms genetic exchanges between the two groups, with up to 6% of modern humans' genome originating from Neanderthals.
A research team led by Ohio University's Sabrina Curran has discovered new evidence of early hominin activity in Europe, suggesting that hominins were present on the continent at least 1.95 million years ago. This finding pushes back previous timelines and provides valuable insights into the behavior of early human ancestors.
University of Houston researcher Peter Vekilov discovers two-step incorporation into crystals, mediated by an intermediate state, solving a 40-year-old riddle. The new paradigm guides the search for solvents and additives to stabilize the intermediate state and slow down unwanted polymorphs.
Scientists discovered that the Sahara Desert was greener during the time of Homo erectus' migration, allowing for a more hospitable passage. This discovery sheds new light on how early humans adapted to their environment.
A new study found that a massive North Atlantic cooling event led to the disruption of early human occupation in Europe, with climate stress changing the course of early human history. The study used observational and modeling evidence to document the unprecedented climate anomaly.
Researchers analyzed ancient teeth from Homo erectus and great apes to reveal annual cycles in tooth enamel, providing insights into their diets and seasonal food supplies. The study shows that humans and great apes had distinct dietary patterns, with humans exhibiting less pronounced peaks and lower Sr/Ca values.
Researchers uncovered favorable environments for hominins in Central Asia's steppe and semi-arid zones during the Pleistocene era. The study suggests that these regions were crucial for early human dispersals out of Africa and through Asia.
A new study verifies the age and origin of a 1.9 million-year-old Homo erectus skull fragment from East Turkana in Kenya. The researchers also found two new, nearly 2-million-year-old hominin specimens at the site, likely the earliest pieces of H. erectus skeleton yet discovered.
A new study published in Science has found that Homo erectus ancestors are older than previously thought, with fossils dating back to 2.04-1.95 million years ago in South Africa. This challenges the long-held theory of Africa's origin as the homeland of modern humans.
The study finds that Homo and Paranthropus fossils in the region date back to 2.04-1.95 million years, providing new insights into the transition of species in southern Africa during this period. The findings suggest a shift from endemic species like Australopithecus going extinct, while new migrants like Homo and Paranthropus moved in.
Researchers unveil 2 million-year-old Homo erectus skull, shedding light on three co-existing human ancestors in Africa. The discovery confirms African origin of Homo erectus and provides insights into childhood growth and development.
A recent study has dated the last known occurrence of Homo erectus to between 117,000 and 108,000 years ago in Central Java, Indonesia. The research, led by Russell L. Ciochon from the University of Iowa, used modern dating technology to analyze fossils found in a bone bed at Ngandong.
A team of researchers led by the University of Iowa has dated the last known appearance of Homo erectus at Ngandong in Indonesia between 108,000 and 117,000 years ago. The site is considered the last known settlement of this direct ancestor to modern humans.
The research found that Homo erectus used 'least-effort strategies' for tool making and resource collection. This lack of innovation led to the species' demise, as they failed to adapt to a changing climate and technological advancements.
A team of scientists believes they've identified Paranthropus boisei as the species that likely contracted HSV2 and transmitted it to human ancestors, including Homo erectus. The study suggests the virus jumped from ancestral chimpanzees via an intermediate hominin species.
A comprehensive study on the bones of Homo floresiensis has found that they most likely evolved from an African ancestor and share a common ancestor with Homo habilis. The findings contradict the popular theory that Homo floresiensis evolved from Homo erectus.
Researchers discovered multiple assemblages of Homo erectus footprints in northern Kenya, preserving evidence of a modern human style of walking and group structure consistent with human-like social behaviours. The findings provide direct insight into the locomotor patterns and group dynamics of our fossil ancestors.
Researchers discover fossils of hominins similar in size to 'hobbits' but at least ten times older, dating back 700,000 years. The findings suggest a striking similarity between the Mata Menge hominins and Liang Bua hobbits, hinting at a possible ancestral relationship.
Scientists discovered ancient engravings from human ancestors on a 400,000 year old fossilised shell from Java. The discovery is the earliest known example of ancient humans deliberately creating pattern.
A complete skull from early Homo has been discovered in Georgia, combining features like a small braincase with large teeth. The finding suggests that all Homo species may have belonged to the same evolving lineage.
The discovery sheds light on early human evolution, providing a clearer picture of what our direct ancestral species looked like. The new fossils reveal that two species of Homo coexisted with Homo erectus between 1.78 and 1.95 million years ago.
Researchers found that the loss of elephant bones at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov site may have imposed significant nutritional stress on Homo erectus. This led to a shift towards hunting smaller prey, which is evident in the physical appearance of modern humans and suggests their emergence in the Middle East 400,000 years ago.
Research suggests that periods of rapid temperature fluctuation coincided with the appearance of distant human relatives and the spread of stone tools. Genetic modelling techniques revealed a correlation between climatic variability and key events in human evolution.
A new study reveals Homo erectus used advanced Acheulian tools in East Africa at 1.8 million years ago, 300,000 years earlier than previously thought. The discovery sheds light on the origins of sophisticated tool-making technology and raises questions about human migration and climate change.
Researchers have discovered a human ancestor older than previously believed, contradicting the Out of Africa model and suggesting a different role for Homo erectus. The findings, published in PLoS One, indicate that Homo erectus went extinct before modern humans arrived in Indonesia.
The discovery of Australopithecus sediba, a 1.9 million-year-old human ancestor, has shed new light on human evolution. The fossilized remains, found in South Africa, exhibit features of both earlier bipedal apes and more recent Homo species.
A new dating method has found Peking Man to be around 680,000-780,000 years old, pushing back its age by 200,000 years. The site's analysis revealed evidence that Homo erectus had adapted to the cold environment of a mild glacial period.
A recent discovery in Ethiopia's Gona region has challenged previous estimates of Homo erectus infant head size, indicating a possible increase in brain capacity. The findings, published in Science, suggest that the ancient human ancestor may have been born with brains comparable to those of modern humans.
The discovery of a 1.2 million-year-old female Homo erectus pelvis in Ethiopia provides new insights into the evolution of human brain size. The reconstructed pelvis suggests that early humans were better equipped to produce larger-brained babies, challenging previous theories based on male skeletons.
Researchers analyze brain case of 3-foot-tall Hobbit, finding few similarities to microcephalics and pygmies. The findings support the theory that the fossil is a member of a unique ancestral species, Homo floresiensis.
Researchers discovered a significant swelling of the frontal lobe and other features consistent with higher cognitive processes in the brain of Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the 'hobbit'. The study refutes skeptics' suppositions that the species was a pygmy or microcephalic.
Researchers found that wild chimpanzees have a slower rate of tooth development compared to captive animals, challenging assumptions about hominid growth patterns. The study suggests that modern humans are not as different from Homo erectus as previously thought, and that a larger body size does not require a longer time to grow.
A new fossil discovery in Ethiopia indicates that Homo erectus was a single, widespread species, rather than two separate ones. The 1 million-year-old fossil found in the Middle Awash region of Ethiopia is similar to other Homo erectus fossils from Asia and Africa.
A new million-year-old skull found in Ethiopia contradicts recent suggestions of a split in the homolineage between Eurasiatic and African populations. The team's detailed analysis shows genetic continuity between populations, indicating movement and mobility between them, consistent with a single species Homo erectus.
Researchers found that a modern human-like growth period in humans is a relatively recent evolutionary acquisition, arising around 120,000 years ago. The analysis of fossil teeth suggests that the prolonged growth and development seen in humans today is not as old as previously thought.
A new study using electron spin resonance dating has pushed back the age of Homo erectus remains to 27,000 to 53,000 years old. This finding challenges the Multiregional theory and supports the Out of Africa model of modern human origins.