Homo erectus
Ancient upright human
Homo erectus is an extinct species of early human that lived from roughly two million to one hundred thousand years ago.
The name means "upright man" in Latin, referring to the species' fully bipedal posture.
Homo erectus was the first human ancestor to spread beyond Africa, with fossils found across Asia and Europe.
The species made sophisticated stone tools and may have used fire.
Differential reproductive success
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- common descentAll organisms share forebears
fossil record · paleoanthropology · Darwinism · divergence · genetic drift · bipedalism · morphology · hominin
Earliest archaeological era
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- Ice AgeExtended global freeze
- Lower PaleolithicEarliest prehistoric tool-making epoch
- extinctNo longer existing
ancient · archaic · prehistoric · glacial · interglacial · megafauna · savanna · paleoclimate
Early human Chinese fossil
- fossilsPreserved ancient organism traces
- skullHead's bone casing
- femurUpper leg bone
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
excavation · stratigraphy · dating · specimen · remains · fragmentary · discovery · reconstruction
Knapped stone implement
- flintSpark-producing sedimentary rock
- knappingFracturing stone for tools
- chopperRotorcraft or cleaver
- cleaverBroad-bladed cutting tool
scraper · lithic · flake · core · hammerstone · percussion · cutting · butchering
Walking on two limbs
- uprightVertical or morally sound
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- craniumSkull bone structure
- brow ridgeBone prominence above eyes
robust · femur · pelvis · teeth · mandible · body proportions · stature · brain size
Spreading in many directions
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- AfricaSecond-largest continent
- AsiaLargest continental landmass
- EuropeSmallest inhabited continent
Indonesia · China · Georgia · settlement · spread · pioneer · territorial · movement
natural selection
Differential reproductive success
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
common descent · fossil record · paleoanthropology · Darwinism · divergence · genetic drift · bipedalism · morphology · hominin · evolutionary biology
Paleolithic
Earliest archaeological era
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- Ice AgeExtended global freeze
- Lower PaleolithicEarliest prehistoric tool-making epoch
extinct · ancient · archaic · prehistoric · glacial · interglacial · megafauna · savanna · paleoclimate
Peking Man
Early human Chinese fossil
skeleton · excavation · stratigraphy · dating · specimen · remains · fragmentary · discovery · reconstruction · Mary Leakey
handaxe
Knapped stone implement
cleaver · scraper · lithic · flake · core · hammerstone · percussion · cutting · butchering · technology
bipedalism
Walking on two limbs
brow ridge · robust · femur · pelvis · teeth · mandible · body proportions · stature · brain size
dispersal
Spreading in many directions
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- AfricaSecond-largest continent
- AsiaLargest continental landmass
Europe · Indonesia · China · Georgia · settlement · spread · pioneer · territorial · movement · habitat
- humanityhuman, human being, humans, people, mankind
- prehistorystone tools, Neolithic, Stone Age, caveman, cavemen
- prehistoric humanscaveman, cave dwellers, cave dweller, Neanderthal, Neanderthals
- paleontologydinosaurs, fossil, paleontology, fossil record, dinosaur bones
- Stone Agecave painting, paleolithic, hand ax, handaxes, hand axe
- Early HumansNeanderthal, Cro-Magnon, Australopithecus, caveman, hominin
Homo erectusHomo sapiens
Scientific name for humans
modern humans · Australopithecus · Cro-Magnon · Ardipithecus
Homo erectuschimpanzees
Intelligent African great apes
bonobos · great apes · gorillas · orangutans
erect, erection, erected, erecting, hominid, homo, hominoid, hominids, erectile