CHAPTER 13

Premodern Humans

THE PLEISTOCENE

The Pleistocene, often called the Ice Age, was marked by advances and retreats of massive continental glaciations.Middle Pleistocene (780,000– 25,000 y.a.)Upper Pleistocene (125,000–10,000 y.a.)

CHANGING PLEISTOCENE ENVIRONMENTS IN AFRICA

CHANGING PLEISTOCENE ENVIRONMENTS IN EURASIA

HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS

Europe and Africa 800,000-300,000 YA Regional variations Cranial capacity 1206 cm3

Intermediate between H. erectus and H. sapiens Acheulean tools

China Dali and Jinnishuan

HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS SKULL FROM ZAMBIA

The Kabwe (Broken Hill) Homo heidelbergensis skull from Zambia.

Note the very heavy supraorbital torus.

EARLIEST EVIDENCE OF HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS IN AFRICA

Bodo cranium, the earliest evidence of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa.

STEINHEIM CRANIUM

Steinheim cranium, a representative of H. heidelbergensis from Germany.

CRANIA FROM CHINA

(a) Dali skull and (b) Jinniushan skull, both from China.

These two crania are considered by some to be Asian representatives of Homo heidelbergensis.

FOSSIL DISCOVERIES OF MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE PREMODERN HOMINIDS.

FOSSIL DISCOVERIES OF MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE PREMODERN HOMINIDS.

TIME LINE OFMIDDLE PLEISTOCENE HOMINIDS.

THE LEVALLOIS TECHNIQUE

NEANDERTHALS

Europe and Southwest Asia Late Pleistocene

130,000 – 28,000 YA Over 400 individuals found Features

Larger boned, short, stocky Bipedal Adapted to cold climate Occipital bun Cranial capacity – 1200-1750 cm3 (Avg. 1450

cm3)

MORPHOLOGY AND VARIATION IN NEANDERTAL CRANIA

FOSSIL DISCOVERIES OF NEANDERTALS

KRAPINA

(a) Lateral view showing characteristic Neandertal traits.

(b) Three quarters view.

EXCAVATION OF THE TABUN CAVE, MT. CARMEL, ISRAEL

SHANIDAR 1

Among the individuals buried at Shanidar cave is the skeleton of a one-armed, partially blind, crippled man.

He could not have hunted or gathered food on his own.

Some believe his survival is proof of Neandertal compassion and humanity

FATE OF THE NEANDERTHALS

Outcompeted Hunting hypothesis Climate hypothesis

Did they interbreed with AMH?

CULTURE OF NEANDERTALS Mousterian industry Clothing Subsistence Fire Shelter Intentional burials Language Social Support Networks

PHYLOGENY OF GENUS HOMO

PHYLOGENY OF GENUS HOMO

THREE MAJOR EVOLUTIONARY TRANSITIONS

1. Transition from early Homo to H. erectus. Geographically limited to Africa and occurred rapidly.

2. Transition of H. erectus grading into early H. sapiens. Not geographically limited, but occurred slowly and unevenly.

3. Transition from Archaic H. sapiens to anatomically modern H. sapiens.