Homo erectus
Homo erectus was one of the longest-lived human species and an early migrant beyond Africa.
Image: Eduard Pop et al. · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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Homo erectus had longer legs and more modern body proportions than earlier hominins, enabling efficient long-distance walking. The species spread from Africa to parts of Eurasia and used stone tools. Evidence for fire varies by site, and some dates are disputed. Populations differed in skull shape, and it is uncertain whether all regional fossils belong to the same species.
Savannahs, open woodlands and river landscapes in Africa and Asia.
Trinil, East Java
Kendeng Formation
Cultural profile: Indonesia →Zhoukoudian, Beijing
Cultural profile: China →Iconic fossilHomo erectus · KNM-WT 15000
Found in 1984 by Kamoya Kimeu
Nariokotome, Lake Turkana
Museum: National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi
The most complete Homo erectus skeleton ever found: a boy aged between 7 and 11 who lived 1.5 to 1.6 million years ago. His long legs and build show how far adaptation to walking on two legs had already progressed.
Image: Eduard Pop et al. · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sources: Wikipedia: Turkana Boy
Sources: Homo erectus