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Homo erectus: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Homo erectus pelvis.jpg|thumb|200px|''Homo erectus'' was previously thought to produce babies with relatively small brain capacity. However the discovery of the pictured pelvis has shown that they were actually capable of birthing babies with a cranial circumference very close to the lower end of the range of our own species.<ref name=nsf>[http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?org=NSF&cntn_id=112620 Discovery Questions Intelligence of Human Ancestor] National Science Foundation, Press Release 08-203, November 18, 2008.</ref>]] | [[File:Homo erectus pelvis.jpg|thumb|200px|''Homo erectus'' was previously thought to produce babies with relatively small brain capacity. However the discovery of the pictured pelvis has shown that they were actually capable of birthing babies with a cranial circumference very close to the lower end of the range of our own species.<ref name=nsf>[http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?org=NSF&cntn_id=112620 Discovery Questions Intelligence of Human Ancestor] National Science Foundation, Press Release 08-203, November 18, 2008.</ref>]] | ||
When the cranial capacity of ''Homo erectus'' is compared with ''Homo sapiens'' the morphological distinctions blur even further. ''Homo erectus'' has a cranial capacity from 780 cc to about 1225 cc, whereas modern humans have a capacity from 700 cc all the way up to 2200 cc. Clearly ''H. erectus'' falls with the natural range of modern humans in not only vault thickness, but cranial capacity as well.<ref name=lubenow128>Lubenow p. 128</ref> The close comparison was extended to | When the cranial capacity of ''Homo erectus'' is compared with ''Homo sapiens'' the morphological distinctions blur even further. ''Homo erectus'' has a cranial capacity from 780 cc to about 1225 cc, whereas modern humans have a capacity from 700 cc all the way up to 2200 cc. Clearly ''H. erectus'' falls with the natural range of modern humans in not only vault thickness, but cranial capacity as well.<ref name=lubenow128>Lubenow p. 128</ref> The close comparison was extended to newborns by a discovery in 2008 of a ''Homo erectus'' pelvis, which showed that their infants could have had a head much larger than previously thought. According to Sileshi Semaw, a [[paleoanthropologist]] at the Stone Age Institute and Indiana University-Bloomington, ''H. erectus'' infants could have had a head size of 318 mm in circumference, which is right at the lower end of the spectrum of modern day humans whose cranial circumferences at birth typically range from 320-370 millimeters.<ref name=nsf/> [[Neanderthals]] have also been shown to fall within the range of modern humans, having a skull capacity ranging from 1200 cc to 1650 cc. In fact, the skull morphology of the ''Homo erectus'' is virtually identical to Neanderthal - differing only by size.<ref name=lubenow128>Lubenow p. 128</ref> | ||
Lubenow comments: | Lubenow comments: | ||
{{cquote|My own conclusion is that ''Homo erectus'' and Neandertal are actually the same: ''Homo erectus'' is the lower end, with regard to size, of a continuum that includes ''Homo erectus'', early ''Homo sapiens'', and Neandertal. The range of cranial capacities for fossil humans is in line with the range of cranial capacities for modern humans.<ref>Lubenow p. 127</ref>}} | {{cquote|My own conclusion is that ''Homo erectus'' and Neandertal are actually the same: ''Homo erectus'' is the lower end, with regard to size, of a continuum that includes ''Homo erectus'', early ''Homo sapiens'', and Neandertal. The range of cranial capacities for fossil humans is in line with the range of cranial capacities for modern humans.<ref>Lubenow p. 127</ref>}} | ||
This tremendous similarity between the various ancient human [[fossils]] causes considerable difficulty for the evolutionist who attempts to place the discoveries in various categories. The African early ''Homo sapiens'' have been referred to as "African Neanderthals", and Asian ''Homo erectus'' fossils have been called "Asian Neanderthals". In fact some scholars treat | This tremendous similarity between the various ancient human [[fossils]] causes considerable difficulty for the evolutionist who attempts to place the discoveries in various categories. The African early ''Homo sapiens'' have been referred to as "African Neanderthals", and Asian ''Homo erectus'' fossils have been called "Asian Neanderthals". In fact some scholars treat Neanderthals as a population of late ''Homo erectus'', describing their skulls as an "''enlarged and developed version of the ''Homo erectus'' skull''".<ref name=lubenow128/> Jerome Cybulski (National Museum of Man, Ottawa) speaks to the difficulties in characterizing ''H. erectus'' on morphological grounds: | ||
{{cquote|Indeed, one may well wonder whether agreement will ever be reached as to which fossils do belong to or represent the taxon, and on what morphological-cum-phyologenetic grounds fossil hominids are or are not to be regarded as Homo erectus''.<ref name=lubenow128/>}} | {{cquote|Indeed, one may well wonder whether agreement will ever be reached as to which fossils do belong to or represent the taxon, and on what morphological-cum-phyologenetic grounds fossil hominids are or are not to be regarded as Homo erectus''.<ref name=lubenow128/>}} | ||
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: ''Main Article: [[Java Man]]'' | : ''Main Article: [[Java Man]]'' | ||
Java Man was the common name for the first fossil evidence to be discovered of what is now called ''Homo erectus''. It was found in 1891 by [[Eugene Dubois]] who was a former student of [[Ernst Haeckel]] (Darwin's bulldog). Dubois named the find ''[[Pithecanthropus erectus]]'' (erect ape-man).<ref name=perloff83>Perloff, James. ''[[Tornado in a Junkyard|Tornado in a Junkyard: The Relentless Myth of Darwinism]]''. Burlington, MA: Refuge Books, 1999.</ref> Java Man is arguably the best-known human [[fossil]], and was the evidence that first convinced many people that humans evolved from age-like ancestors.<ref>Lubenow, p. 86.</ref> Since its discovery, there has been much controversy over both the identification and dating of the strata where the fossils were found, and whether the fossils belonged to the same species. | Java Man was the common name for the first fossil evidence to be discovered of what is now called ''Homo erectus''. It was found in 1891 by [[Eugene Dubois]] who was a former student of [[Ernst Haeckel]] (Darwin's bulldog). Dubois named the find ''[[Pithecanthropus erectus]]'' (erect ape-man).<ref name=perloff83>Perloff, James. ''[[Tornado in a Junkyard|Tornado in a Junkyard: The Relentless Myth of Darwinism]]''. Burlington, MA: Refuge Books, 1999.</ref> Java Man is arguably the best-known human [[fossil]], and was the evidence that first convinced many people that humans evolved from age-like ancestors.<ref>Lubenow, p. 86.</ref> Since its discovery, there has been much controversy over both the identification and dating of the strata where the fossils were found, and whether the fossils belonged to the same species. | ||
=== Homo ergaster === | |||
[[Image:Homo_ergaster.jpg|thumb|120px|''Homo ergaster'' - Skull Khm-Heu 3733 discovered by Bernard Ngeneo in 1975 (Kenya)]] | |||
Some have argued that some ''Homo erectus'' fossils found in East Africa are a distinct species named ''Homo ergaster'', derived from the Ancient Greek ἐργαστήρ "workman". Many that except this species hold that this population evolved into ''Homo sapiens'', which then migrated from Africa replacing ''Homo erectus'' (or archaic ''Homo sapiens'') populations in other parts of the world.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_ergaster Homo ergaster] Wikipedia, Accessed September 18, 2011.</ref> This model of human evolution is known as the [[Out-of-Africa hypothesis]], which is distinct from the competing view known as the [[Multiregional hypothesis]].<ref>[http://www.nature.com/scitable/content/out-of-africa-versus-the-multiregional-hypothesis-6391 Out-of-Africa versus the multiregional hypothesis] Nature Education, Accessed September 18, 2011.</ref> However, there remains consider debate as to whether ''Homo ergaster'' should be considered a separate species from ''Homo erectus'', and many considered one species.<ref>[http://anthro.palomar.edu/homo/homo_2.htm mo erectus] by Dennis O'Neil. Behavioral Sciences Department, Palomar College, San Marcos, California.</ref> | |||
{{cquote|In short, ''H. ergaster'' does not show significant promise of lasting as a separate taxon due to several factors. It has not been shown to be significantly different from erectus to require the designation of a new hominid species, and it has not been shown to be closer to modern humans morphologically as has been claimed by some. At this time, ergaster basically means early ''H. erectus'' from Africa.<ref>[http://archaeologyinfo.com/homo-ergaster/ Homo ergaster] ArchaeologyInfo.com, Accessed September 11, 2011.</ref>}} | |||
In 2002, a skull was discoverd in Ethiopia with distinctive ''Homo erectus'' features that was dated at 1 mya (by evolutionary chronology), supporting the earlier view that erectus lived in Africa when ''Homo sapiens are believed to have first evolved.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/03/22/ancestor/index.html Skull may link pre-humans to modern man] ''Cable News Network'', March 22, 2002.</ref> [[Carl Wieland]] notes that this discovery simply highlights the subjectivity of human fossil interpretation and the tight overlap between fossils that are often identified as separate species.<ref>[http://creation.com/skull-wars-new-homo-erectus-skull-in-ethiopia Skull wars: new ‘Homo erectus’ skull in Ethiopia] by Carl Wieland, ''Creation Ministries International'', March 22, 2002.</ref> | |||
[[File:Peking Man.jpg|thumb|120px|Peking Man Skull (replica) presented at Paleozoological Museum of China.]] | [[File:Peking Man.jpg|thumb|120px|Peking Man Skull (replica) presented at Paleozoological Museum of China.]] | ||
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(1984) | (1984) | ||
"The foremost American experts on human brain evolution Dean Falk of the State University of New York at Albany and Ralph Holloway of Columbia University usually disagree, but even they agree that Broca's area is present in a skull from East Turkana known as 1470. Philip Tobias...renowned brain expert from South Africa concurs." Anthro Quest: ''The Leakey's Foundation News''. No.43 (Spring 91) p.13 | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
