![]() Other characteristics are derived in the direction of Neandertals, however. The dentition is large, a carryover from Homo erectus, while the facial skeletons show some modern characteristics in that parts of the face are everted, as in modern humans. These remains (Figure 6), which consist of cranial, facial and dental materials, suggest a mix of primitive and modern traits. The Gran Dolina cave, which is the earliest of the group, yielded hominin remains that date to around 800,000 years ago. Morphologically, these hominins are quite varied. Of particular note, however, was the huge quantity of human fossil remains that stretch for almost the entire vertical distance at the site. Systematic excavation turned up stone tools in 1991 (Rodríguez et al., 2011). Discovered in 1981, the Atapuerca cave system contains three major sites, the Gran Dolina, the Sima del Elefante and the Sima de Los Huesos. This site contains material stretching from just over a million years ago down to 300 thousand years. One of the most impressive fossil hominin and archaeological sites in Europe comes from the town of Atapuerca, in northern Spain. In recent decades, there has been a bit of a renaissance of work in Europe and many critical discoveries have been made that shed light on the evolution of these forms and the origins of perhaps the most well-known variant of archaic Homo sapiens, the Neandertals. We know that they are getting more modern over time because we see this in individual skulls but the overall pattern is difficult to quantify. It is this variability that had led many researchers to use the “archaic Homo sapiens” designation (see below), since the task of drawing relationships based on derived and primitive traits has revealed few clues in the overall evolution of these hominins. ![]() ![]() It is clear that African post- Homo erectus morphology was in a state of flux for some time-possibly several hundred thousand years, judging from the wide morphological variability that we find. Dated to approximately the same time as the given date for LH18, this cranium still has quite prominent brow ridges and is long and low but the face is considerably reduced and pulled in under the forehead. ![]() Here was unearthed the Jebel Irhoud (or Ighoud) 1 cranium (Figure 5). This pattern is also evident in a find from North Africa, from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. As with every other stage of human evolution, we must start with the primary fossil remains before discussing their taxonomic status and that means beginning with the record preserved in Africa. The extensive brow ridges-which formed a continuous bar in Homo erectus-are now divided in the middle, above the nose. Faces are also larger as are front teeth, and the faces do not project out as much as with prior types, having a more orthognathic (flatter) appearance. In fact, some of the archaic Homo sapiens crania are among the largest skulls found. The maximum cranial width was now midway up the sides of the vault, rather than near the ears as was the case with Homo erectus. These were the first, still-archaic Homo sapiens.Ĭranial capacity in these new hominins increased from the Homo erectus average of 900 CC3 to an average of 1100 CC3, with the heads becoming larger and more vaulted. But, yet again, change was on the horizon: beginning around 600 to 700 thousand years ago, new hominin forms appear in the archaeological record, all having certain common characteristics that represent advancements over those found in Homo erectus. Through the approximately million-year heyday of Homo erectus, the Acheulean tool technology-focused on the hand axe-remained unchanged. From the river valleys in Indonesia, to the open savannas in Africa, to the caves in China, India and Europe, this hominin had mastered fire, standardized stone tool technology and incorporated hunting into its daily life. Our best understanding is that this form gave rise to Homo erectus around a million years ago, and that by 700,000 years ago, Homo erectus was firmly established as the dominant (if not the only) hominin on the landscape. It was also the first hominin to make it out of Africa, its earliest remains having being found in Dmanisi, in the Republic of Georgia and, a bit later, in several places in southern Europe. Homo ergaster had a modern skeleton and more advanced food-gathering methods than previous hominins. Beginning around 1.6 million years ago, the first large-brained hominin appeared on the landscape.
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