Chapter 10Premodern Humans

What we’re going for today…

• Who were the immediate precursors to modern Homo sapiens, and how do they compare with modern humans?

Left: Homo Erectus (1mya)Center: Australopithicus afarensis (2.5mya)

Right: Homo Neandertalensis (100,000-32,000ya)

Phylogeny of Genus Homo - Very Modest Species Diversity

Phylogeny of genus Homo - Considerable Species Diversity

The Pleistocene

• The Pleistocene, often called the Ice Age, was marked by advances and retreats of massive continental glaciations.– At least 15 major and 50 minor glacial advances

have been documented in Europe.– Hominins were impacted as the climate, flora, and

animal life shifted.

Middle Pleistocene

• The portion of the Pleistocene epoch beginning 780,000 ya and ending 125,000 ya.

Late Pleistocene

• The portion of the Pleistocene epoch beginning 125,000 ya and ending approximately 10,000 ya.

Glaciations

• Climatic intervals when continental ice sheets cover much of the northern continents.

• Glaciations are associated with colder temperatures in northern latitudes and more arid conditions in southern latitudes, most notably in Africa.

Interglacials

• Climatic intervals when continental ice sheets are retreating, eventually becoming much reduced in size.

• Interglacials in northern latitudes are associated with warmer temperatures, while in southern latitudes the climate becomes wetter.

Changing Pleistocene Environments in Africa

Changing Pleistocene Environments in Eurasia

• Green areas are possible hominid occupation areas. White areas are glaciers. Arrows indicate migration routes.

Chapter 10Premodern Humans

What we’re going for today…

• Who were the immediate precursors to modern Homo sapiens, and how do they compare with modern humans?

Left: Homo Erectus (1mya)Center: Australopithicus afarensis (2.5mya)

Right: Homo Neandertalensis (100,000-32,000ya)

Phylogeny of Genus Homo - Very Modest Species Diversity

Phylogeny of genus Homo - Considerable Species Diversity

The Pleistocene

• The Pleistocene, often called the Ice Age, was marked by advances and retreats of massive continental glaciations.– At least 15 major and 50 minor glacial advances

have been documented in Europe.– Hominins were impacted as the climate, flora, and

animal life shifted.

Middle Pleistocene

• The portion of the Pleistocene epoch beginning 780,000 ya and ending 125,000 ya.

Late Pleistocene

• The portion of the Pleistocene epoch beginning 125,000 ya and ending approximately 10,000 ya.

Glaciations

• Climatic intervals when continental ice sheets cover much of the northern continents.

• Glaciations are associated with colder temperatures in northern latitudes and more arid conditions in southern latitudes, most notably in Africa.

Interglacials

• Climatic intervals when continental ice sheets are retreating, eventually becoming much reduced in size.

• Interglacials in northern latitudes are associated with warmer temperatures, while in southern latitudes the climate becomes wetter.

Changing Pleistocene Environments in Africa

Changing Pleistocene Environments in Eurasia

• Green areas are possible hominid occupation areas. White areas are glaciers. Arrows indicate migration routes.

Middle Pleistocene Hominins

• Widely distributed in Africa, Asia and Europe, replacing earlier hominins in previously exploited habitats (or coexisting as in Southeast Asia)

• Exhibit several H. erectus characteristics– Large face, projected brows, low forehead, and

thick cranial vault• Increased brain size, rounded braincase, vertical

nose, and reduced occipital

Homo heidelbergensis Skull From Zambia

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

• Note the robust browridges.

Homo heidelbergensis Bodo Cranium

• The earliest evidence of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa.

Europe

• Gran Dolina (northern Spain) may represent H. heidelbergensis, possibly dating to 850,000 ya

• Atapuerca site of Sima de los Huesos remains of at least 28 individuals date to 600,000-530,000 ya (represent 80% of all Middle Pleistocene hominin remains in the world)

Asia

• Dali fossils display H. erectus and H. sapiens traits, cranial capacity of 1120 cm3

• Jinniushan, northeast China, 200,000 ya and cranniall capacity appx 1260 cm3

Middle Pleistocene Culture

• The Acheulian technology of H. erectus carried into the Middle Pleistocene with little change until near the end of the period, when it became slightly more sophisticated.

• Some later premodern humans in Africa and Europe invented the Levallois (next slide) for controlling flake size and shape.

• This suggests increased cognitive abilities in later premodern populations.

The Levallois Technique

Middle Pleistocene Culture

• Premodern human populations continued to live in caves and open-air sites, but they may have increased their use of caves.

• Chinese archaeologists insist that many Middle Pleistocene sites in China contain evidence of human-controlled fire.

Middle Pleistocene Culture

• Researchers found concentrations of bones, stones, and artifacts at several sites suggesting that Middle Pleistocene hominids built temporary structures.

• There is also evidence that they exploited different food sources, fruits, vegetables, fish, seeds, nuts, and bird eggs, each in its own season.

• They also exploited marine life, a new innovation in human evolution.

Middle Pleistocene Culture

• Researchers have found little evidence supporting widely practiced advanced hunting.

• However, in 1995 wood spears were found at the Schöningen site in Germany.– These were most likely used as throwing spears to

hunt large animals.– The bones of numerous horses were also

recovered at Schöningen.

NEANDERTALS

La Chapelle (France) skull and

reconstruction

Neandertals: Premodern Humans of the Late Pleistocene

• Neandertals are typically placed by researchers into a separate species: Homo neanderthalensis.

• Brain Size: Larger than H. sapiens today (1520 cm3 compared to 1300-1400 cm3 (perhaps adapted to cold climate).

• Cranium: Large, long, low, and bulging at the sides. • Structure: Robust, barrel-chested, and powerfully

muscled with shorter limbs than modern H. sapiens.

Upper Paleolithic

• A cultural period usually associated with modern humans, but also found with some Neandertals, and distinguished by technological innovation in various stone tool industries.

• Best known from western Europe, similar industries are also known from central and eastern Europe and Africa.