Homo Erectus: Africa (Paranthropus)

Homo erectus is considered the earliest group in the chain of evolution of homo sapiens. The evidence that indicates them being 2-2.5 million years old is the fossils. There has always been a debate on where did exactly homo Erectus originate? Although most of the research says Africa, some are still adamant about its beginning in Eurasia. The vivid characteristics of Homo Erectus, unlike any other earlier evolution, bring them closer to homo sapiens as they had a very defined face close to what we homo sapiens have today. When we try to study the migration patterns of Homo Erectus, we can observe that it started from the middle of the Pleistocene Epoch and continued moving towards the dense tropics of Africa. 

Homo Erectus Meaning and Origin

To get to the roots of Homo Erectus, we need to understand how was the term invented and what did it mean? Homo Erectus meaning upright man, was the term coined for this evolutionary species by Eugène Dubois. It was initially referred to as Pithecanthropus erectus and later generalized to its true meaning, the erect man. The sample of fossil studied by Eugène Dubois in the Netherlands was named Trinil 2 and has still been preserved.

We homo sapiens often forget that we are not the only descendants of the ape family. There were several others that we could not ignore. Homo Erectus was an evolutionary step for us as it was the first time we saw the man upright on just their two limbs. Are homo sapiens derived from Homo Erectus? That’s still a question, but we cannot deny the contribution of all the hominids who contributed to the evolution of homo sapiens. 

We are Homo Sapiens, members of the genus Homo. The genus Homo contains several extinct species. One is Homo Neanderthalensis, with whom we have interbred, and the other is Homo habilis, known for being one of the first stone age humans.

Homo Erectus’ Migration From Africa 

Migrations usually take place due to several factors. The main reason behind the migration of Homo Erectus is said to be various changes that happened in the environment. Also, as the species was growing, they began to wander off to the farthest end, discovering more and more resources which led to their spread around the Sinai Peninsula. Some studies refer that Homo Erectus was also seen in Java. The scientific explanation for that may be the plates of Java, and Southeast Asia were landlocked together.  

A fossil found in Georgia of Homo Erectus has helped Archaeologists discover that there was DNA evidence of an animal that can only be found in the continent of Africa named a Sabre-toothed cat. When times got hard, these wild animals were local species of Africa and were often kept as their pets or as food sources. Homo Erectus had their diet primarily focused on meat and used to hunt for their food which led to them discovering newer places and hence began the wave of migration.  

Homo Erectus Characteristics

The brain size we have is much larger than that of a Homo Erectus. They had a huge and defined skull with a vivid brow ridge. Homo Erectus had a body structure like homo sapiens but were different in many ways, such as they had a thick bone shell around their head to protect them against severe traumas. There was a fossil named Turkana Boy whose study revealed that Homo Erectus could walk and run just the same way we did. 

The hips of Homo Erectus were wider compared to that of homo sapiens. It probably needed to protect their hip from breaking if they endure a fall. They had a long skull that was thick and protected them against head-on traumas. Adult Homo Erectus is estimated to be as long as 1.5 meters and is assumed to have a weight range of 41-64 kilograms. Their teeth were just starting to evolve and hence were tiny compared to what we have now. 

Conclusion 

Homo Erectus, also known as the first upright man, has its origins about 2 million years ago in the continent of Africa. Homo Erectus is also known as Homo ergaster and is the earliest proof of a homo sapien like body. Although there are many differences in exact dimensions, the overall characteristics of homo Eretus and their proportions were a lot close to homo sapiens than any other hominin. Homo Erectus was created by nature to withstand falls and climb trees and hence had evolutions in their body which supported them in achieving their function. They have played an essential role in understanding evolution and are a primary link to human development from 2-2.5 million years ago. To study more about change, check out the evolution of sapiens.