Homo heidelbergensis
Pleistocene human ancestor
Homo heidelbergensis is an extinct species of archaic human that lived roughly 700,000 to 200,000 years ago in Africa and Europe.
Often considered a common ancestor of both Neanderthals and modern humans, these hominins had large brains and robust builds.
They were skilled hunters who may have been among the first to construct shelters and use wooden spears: The Homo heidelbergensis fossils at Atapuerca suggest cooperative hunting strategies.
Extinct archaic human species
- DenisovansExtinct hominin species
- common ancestorOrigin point of descendants
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- cladisticsClassification by common descent
Science of ancestral human remains
- excavationAct of unearthing
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- carbon-datingIsotope-based age measurement
- remainsContinues in place
skeleton · skull · teeth · morphology · osteology · fossilization · discovery · site
Smallest inhabited continent
- AfricaSecond-largest continent
- migrationMovement to new territory
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- routesPaths for travel
Knapped stone implement
- flintknappingStriking stone to shape tools
- hearthsFireplace floor areas
- stone toolsShaped rocks for tasks
- butcheringProcessing animals into cuts
Pursuers of prey
- big-game huntingKilling large wild animals
- megafaunaSpecies over 44 kilograms
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- social groupsCollections of affiliated individuals
campsite · shelter · meat-eating · scavenging · territoriality · division of labor · communication · proto-language
Epoch between major freezes
- glacial cyclesRepeating planetary cooling periods
- climate adaptationAdjusting to environmental shifts
- ice agesExtended global cooling epochs
- QuaternaryLast 2.6 million years
geological time · paleoclimate · environmental pressures · extinction · dating · chronometric
Neanderthal
Extinct archaic human species
- DenisovansExtinct hominin species
- common ancestorOrigin point of descendants
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
cladistics · speciation · divergence · cranial capacity · robust build
paleoanthropology
Science of ancestral human remains
- excavationAct of unearthing
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- carbon-datingIsotope-based age measurement
remains · skeleton · skull · teeth · morphology · osteology · fossilization · discovery · site · dig
Europe
Smallest inhabited continent
- AfricaSecond-largest continent
- migrationMovement to new territory
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
routes · population movement · Eurasia · adaptation · climate
handaxe
Knapped stone implement
- flintknappingStriking stone to shape tools
- hearthsFireplace floor areas
- stone toolsShaped rocks for tasks
hunters
Pursuers of prey
- big-game huntingKilling large wild animals
- megafaunaSpecies over 44 kilograms
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
social groups · campsite · shelter · meat-eating · scavenging · territoriality · division of labor · communication · proto-language · cognition
interglacial
Epoch between major freezes
- glacial cyclesRepeating planetary cooling periods
- climate adaptationAdjusting to environmental shifts
- ice agesExtended global cooling epochs
Quaternary · geological time · paleoclimate · environmental pressures · extinction · dating · chronometric
- prehistoric humanscaveman, cave dwellers, cave dweller, Neanderthal, Neanderthals
- Early HumansNeanderthal, Cro-Magnon, Australopithecus, caveman, hominin
- hominidshuman, humans, chimpanzee, chimpanzees, gorilla
- HomininsAustralopithecus, Homo, Neanderthal, Ardipithecus, Neanderthals
- Human SpeciesNeanderthal, modern humans
- Fossil PrimatesAustralopithecus, Neanderthal, Ardipithecus, Lucy, Ida
Homo heidelbergensisHomo sapiens
Scientific name for humans
modern humans · Australopithecus · Ardipithecus · Neanderthal · Homo erectus
anthropoid, hominid, hominoid, hominins, Heidelberg, Homo sapiens, Homo erectus