Homo ergaster was the first of our ancestors to look more like modern humans. These people were generally tall and slender and may also have been relatively hairless. Not everyone accepts this species name, some still prefer to use the term African Homo erectus
Homo erectus
Homo erectus is a species of archaic humans that lived throughout most of the Pleistocene geological epoch. Its earliest fossil evidence dates to 1.8 million years ago.
Full Answer
Is Homo ergaster an ancestor of modern humans?
Additionally, H. ergaster is likely ancestral to later hominins in Europe and Africa, such as modern humans and Neanderthals. Several features distinguish H. ergaster from australopithecines as well as earlier and more basal species of Homo, such as H. habilis.
What is the evidence for Homo ergaster group composition?
The only direct evidence of H. ergaster group composition comes from a series of sites outside of Ileret in Kenya, where 97 footprints made around 1.5 million years ago by a group of at least 20 individuals have been preserved.
How did the technology of Homo ergaster change over time?
The technology of Homo ergaster became more advanced with the production of new kinds of stone tools. Other aspects of their behaviour also showed some significant changes, including the possible use of fire and increased levels of physical activity.
What happened to Homo ergaster?
Homo ergaster is believed to have diverged from the lineage of Homo habilis between 1.9 and 1.8 million years ago, and remained stable for approximately 500,000 years in Africa before disappearing from the fossil record around 1.4 to 1.3 million years ago.
What is the difference between Homo erectus and Homo ergaster?
H. erectus is what biologists call a chronospecies, a species that changes through time. Homo ergaster is the name given to its earlier phase, which lived mainly in Africa; the later Homo erectus lived mostly in Eurasia.
Where does ergaster fit in the human lineage?
ergaster is likely ancestral to later hominins in Europe and Africa, such as modern humans and Neanderthals. Several features distinguish H. ergaster from australopithecines as well as earlier and more basal species of Homo, such as H. habilis.
What is the significance of Homo ergaster?
Various fossils found in Eurasia at Dmanisi in the Republic of Georgia may belong to Homo ergaster. These Dmanisi fossils are significant because they currently represent the earliest evidence for the emergence of early humans from Africa into Eurasia 1.75 million years ago.
What was the biggest human species?
GigantopithecusGigantopithecus Temporal range: Early–Middle Pleistocene ~Order:PrimatesSuborder:HaplorhiniInfraorder:SimiiformesFamily:Hominidae11 more rows
What was the first human species?
The First Humans One of the earliest known humans is Homo habilis, or “handy man,” who lived about 2.4 million to 1.4 million years ago in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Which one is regarded as the immediate ancestor of human evolution?
Ardipithicines. Ardipithecus is the earliest known genus of the human lineage and the likely ancestor of Australopithecus, a group closely related to and often considered ancestral to modern human beings. Ardipithecus lived between 5.8 million and 4.4 million years ago.
What is the significance of the discovery of fire?
Protection and hunting. The early discovery of fire had numerous benefits for early humans. They were able to protect themselves from the weather, and were also able to devise an entirely new way of hunting. Evidence of fire has been found in caves, suggesting it was used to keep warm.
What is so significant about the fossil finds at Dmanisi Georgia?
The fossils and stone tools recovered at Dmanisi range in age from 1.85–1.77 million years old, making the Dmanisi hominins the earliest well-dated hominin fossils in Eurasia and the best preserved fossils of early Homo from a single site so early in time, though earlier fossils and artifacts have been found in Asia.
What is significant about Turkana Boy?
The 'Turkana Boy' skeleton has allowed scientists to find out a lot of information about body size, body shape, and growth rates of Homo erectus. This skeleton is 40% complete, based on the principle that bones from one side of the body can tell what the same bone from the other side looked like even if it's missing.
Why is the Nariokotome boy fossil significant for hominin evolution?
The Nariokotome boy's skeleton has been called the fossil find of the century. Because it was so complete, it revealed a great deal not only about the anatomy of his species, Homo erectus (sometimes called Homo ergaster), but also clues about their life history and even social structure.
Why is the Homo Ergaster called Homo Ergaster?
This name was used because large stone tools were found near some of its fossils. Distribution. Fossils of this species have been found in Africa and Eurasia.
What is the name of the first human?
Homo ergaster was the first of our ancestors to look more like modern humans. These people were generally tall and slender and may also have been relatively hairless. Not everyone accepts this species name, some still prefer to use the term African Homo erectus. Background to discovery. Age.
What is the significance of the Dmanisi fossils?
These Dmanisi fossils are significant because they currently represent the earliest evidence for the emergence of early humans from Africa into Eurasia 1.75 million years ago.
Why is the body hairless?
the body may have been relatively hairless as a way of improving body cooling by sweating.
Why are females tall and slender?
the body is usually considered to be tall and slender with long legs which may have been an adaptation to maximise cooling of the body in a hot, dry environment. However, a pelvis found in 2000 suggests that females at least were broad-hipped and short.
Where are fossil footprints from?
Fossil footprints from Ileret, Kenya, dated to 1.5 million years ago. These are the oldest known evidence of an essentially modern human-like foot anatomy and differ from the Laetoli footprints left by australopithecines 3.6 million years ago.
Is the nose human-like?
nose was human-like for the first time. It now projected outward whereas earlier species had flat noses
Who discovered Homo Ergaster?
Homo ergaster, meaning ‘workman’ due to its advanced lithic technology, is also referred to as African Homo erectus. It was first discovered by John T. Robinson in 1949 in southern Africa.
When did Homo Ergaster disappear?
Homo ergaster is believed to have diverged from the lineage of Homo habilis between 1.9 and 1.8 million years ago, and remained stable for approximately 500,000 years in Africa before disappearing from the fossil record around 1.4 to 1.3 million years ago.
What was the first hominid to use a human voice?
Homo ergaster may well have been the first hominid to use a 'human' voice - a proto-language - based on the evidence of the cervical vertebrae. Even though there is no archaeological evidence, its well-evolved brain and physical capabilities suggest it may have made use of symbolic thought, such as figurative art.
Is Homo Ergaster a Homo sapiens?
The ancestry of Homo ergaster is still controversial, but it is believed to be the direct ancestor of later hominids such as Homo heidelbergensis, Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, as well as Asian Homo erectus [Antón 2003].
Where did Ergaster evolve?
H. ergaster is thought to have evolved from either H. habilis or H. rudolfensis in East Africa. However, it is possible that H. habilis may have been the first to leave Africa, after which it may have evolved into a pre- ergaster / erectus form that then moved into Africa and Asia. If H. habilis was in our ancestry, the latter scenario might explain how the more modernly proportioned H. ergaster appeared in the fossil record contemporary with H. habilis in East Africa. Of course, the hit and miss nature of the fossil record and fossil and species discoveries could also explain that phenomenon, i.e. the seeming lack of transitional forms in Africa.
What is the difference between Ergaster and Habilis?
ergaster was derived, H. ergaster possessed a longer skull vault, a larger brain (however, see previous paragraph), a smaller temporal fossa (the opening formed by the zygomatic arch where jaw muscles pass through and/or attach), a shorter face, a larger nose, reduced dentition and jaw robusticity, and a heavier nuchal region.
What are the characteristics of H. ergaster?
H. ergaster exhibited robust craniofacial characteristics relative to modern humans, but overall we see the continued reduction in dentition and masticatory apparatus. Their brains were large, with a maximum cranial capacity of 1200 cc and a range of 800–1200 cc, based on the material from the three continents. However, the relative brain size of early specimens may not have been much greater than that seen in early Homo. They had fairly robust supraorbital and nuchal regions. The skull vault was long and low, termed platycephalic, with a low maximum width. Our vaults are much higher, and we have high maximum width, due to subsequent cerebral expansion. The shape of the vault in cross-section has been described as that of a turtle shell. H. ergaster, like all hominins before and especially the robust australopiths, exhibits postorbital constriction between the orbits and the cranial vault. Their temporal lines were more pronounced than ours (see Figure 28.4), indicating that they had more powerful jaw muscles and chewing capabilities. They did not have much of a forehead due to several of the aforementioned craniofacial characteristics. Their nasal bones suggest a human-like, projecting nose. This would have been adaptive in arid as well as cold conditions. In addition to warming and humidifying inhaled air, the moisture in warm exhaled air condenses on the cooler nasal membranes, resulting in water conservation. The jaws were somewhat prognathic in the alveolar region, i.e. the bone that houses the teeth, and the mandibles were robust. They lacked a chin, a characteristic seen only in anatomically modern humans.
How old was Ergaster when he developed?
Once it was determined that he was only eight years old yet 5´3˝ tall, it was apparent that H. ergaster developed at a much faster rate, more like a chimp than a human.
Where is Ergaster's skeleton found?
The earliest H. ergaster material is from the East Lake Turkana site of Koobi Fora in Kenya. Richard Leakey is credited with this 1.8 mya discovery. Other sites outside of Africa are contemporary with African sites, e.g. the 1.8 mya Dmanisi site in the Republic of Georgia and the 1.8–1.6 mya site of Modjokerto in Java. (Note: There are problems with the Javanese dates because the fossil-containing layers are not conducive to more reliable dating methods.) The almost complete Nariokotome or Turkana Boy (see Figure 28.2) from the West Lake Turkana region of Kenya was discovered in 1984 by Kamoya Kimeu and dated to 1.6 mya. The skeleton has been extremely important for reconstructing body morphology and limb proportions. The boy is thought to have been eight years old based upon tooth development patterns. He was formerly thought to be as old as 15, based on his height, stage of bone development, and hypothesized growth trajectories. However, dental calculations can accurately determine age due to the daily pattern of enamel deposition during tooth development. Scientists can count the microscopic, bead-like deposits that are laid down daily during the course of a tooth’s development. Once it was determined that he was only eight years old yet 5´3˝ tall, it was apparent that H. ergaster developed at a much faster rate, more like a chimp than a human. Had Turkana Boy lived to adulthood, he would have been over 6´ tall. His morphology was adapted to the hot, dry conditions in equatorial East Africa, i.e. tall and long-limbed, similar to modern peoples of the region.
How tall were H. ergaster?
While the thorax may still have been somewhat conical, they had more of a waist, demonstrating an uncoupling of the lower limb from the torso. The small birth canal relative to adult brain size suggests a long period of postnatal brain growth, as seen in subsequent hominins, especially our own species. They were tall, achieving heights of over 6´. They were also more robust than premodern humans that, in turn, were more robust than modern humans. Males were 20–30% larger than females. While the lifespan tended to be short, some individuals lived to be 50 to 60 years of age. There was high infant mortality, with 40% of fossil remains estimated to be less than 14 years of age.
How old is the boy from the skeleton?
The skeleton has been extremely important for reconstructing body morphology and limb proportions. The boy is thought to have been eight years old based upon tooth development patterns. He was formerly thought to be as old as 15, based on his height, stage of bone development, and hypothesized growth trajectories.
Where did Homo Ergaster live?
Homo ergaster is the name given to its earlier phase, which lived mainly in Africa; the later Homo erectus lived mostly in Eurasia. Homo erectus stood upright and had a larger brain than several of its forebears, averaging between 780 to 1225 cc, considerably larger than H. habilis, the first of the genus Homo.
What is the name of the hominid that lived on the ground?
Homo Ergaster/Erectus. : Down from the Trees. Living entirely on the ground and the first to venture out of Africa, Homo ergaster/erectus created the most successful tool ever invented by any hominid and may have been the first to live in bands of hunter gatherers and use fire to cook food.
What was the first human to venture out of Africa?
H. erectus was the first early human to venture out of Africa, and spread throughout the Old World. Its body was well adapted for running, with long legs and long Achilles tendons. While earlier hominids spent considerable time in trees as well as on the ground, H. erectus appears to have been fully terrestrial.
When did erectus use axes?
Recent findings spanning 1.2 million years from the Olorgesailie Basin in the Rift Valley confirm that about 900,000 years ago erectus used big Acheulean hand axes and scrapers to butcher meat. 100,000 years later as the climate began fluctuating more intensely from wet to dry, the environment became more arid and grassy.
When did Homo erectus first move out of Africa?
habilis. H. erectus became bipedal at least 3 to 4 million years ago, and first moved out of Africa about 1.8 million years ago. H. erectus is what biologists call a chronospecies, a species that changes through time. Homo ergaster is the name given to its earlier phase, ...
Does erectus have language?
But it turns out that this did not mean that erectus had language. Further experiments showed that in the absence of verbal instruction the brain relied on a combination of working memory and motor-control to make these tools. Like playing the piano, you can make a hand ax without language … by coordinating your hands while keeping in mind all of these sub-goals.
What Came Before Homo erectus?
H.erectus was believed to have evolved from another early human ancestor known as Homo habilis. However, some paleoanthropologists may argue that Homo ergaster may have come before H.erectus, though fossil evidence supporting the same is inconclusive.
How Did Homo erectus Differ From Homo sapiens?
Though H.erectus and H.sapiens are related, many differences did exist between the two species. For example, H. erectus had a long, elongated skull, which is in stark contrast to our rounded skull. Moreover, H. erectus had a very prominent brow ridge over its eye sockets, which was also common among other archaic humans. Paleoanthropologists speculate that this feature enhanced facial expressions – which may have played a role in social signalling.
What is the ridge on H. erectus?
Moreover, H. erectus had a very prominent brow ridge over its eye sockets, which was also common among other archaic humans. Paleoanthropologists speculate that this feature enhanced facial expressions – which may have played a role in social signalling.
What is the Homo erectus?
Homo erectus belongs to the genus Homo, and was also the earliest in the human lineage. Unlike other early hominins, H.erectus had distinct characteristics which meant it was similar to modern humans.
When did humans evolve from Homo Erectus?
Are We Descendents Of Homo Erectus? It is speculated that modern humans evolved from H.erectus about 200,000 years ago . This is due to the fact that H.erectus was the first of the hominins – which is where most of our modern human traits began to appear in fossil records.
Where did H. erectus originate?
Furthermore, H.erectus had a widespread distribution – from Africa to Europe and Asia and Indonesia. Hence, H.erectus is often referred to as the first “cosmopolitan” hominin lineage. However, the oldest fossil finds of this species originated from Africa – which suggests it came from there.
Important Fossil Discoveries
What The Name Means
Distribution
Relationships with Other Species
Key Physical Features
Culture and Technology
Tools
Fire
Social Behaviour
Environment and Diet
- About 1.8 million years ago, the climate over most of Africa became drier and more seasonal with extensive savannahs. Homo ergaster was the first human species to take advantage of these more arid and open environments. This species’ narrower pelvis and rib cage suggests that they had a smaller gut than earlier species such as Australopithecus afar...