Evolution: Humans: Origins of Humankind

Fossil Finds:

Mauer mandible
Estimated age: 700,000 to 400,000 years
Date of discovery: 1907
Location: Heidelberg, Germany

Discovered by gravel pit workers, this find consists of alower jaw with a nearly complete set of teeth. The jaw is extremely large andheavy-boned, like that of Homo erectus, but the teeth are too smallfor that species.

Petralona 1 (debated)
Estimated age: 500,000 to 250,000 years
Date of discovery: 1969
Location: Petralona, Greece

This is a difficult fossil to classify, given its mixtureof traits. The skull is classified by some scientists as late Homo erectusand by others as Homo neanderthalensis. The brain size is 1220 cc. --large for H. erectus, but small for H. sapiens -- and the face islarge, with a particularly wide upper mandible.

Tautavel Man (debated)
Estimated age: 400,000 years
Date of discovery: 1971
Location: Arago, France

This skull shows a mixture of features of H.heidelbergensis and Homo erectus, to which it is sometimesassigned. It consists of a fairly complete face, with five molars andpart of the brain case.

Kabwe Man
Estimated age: 200,000 to 125,000 years
Date of discovery: 1921
Location: Kabwe, Zambia

This complete cranium was very heavy-boned, with largebrow ridges and a receding forehead. The brain size, however, was equal tothat of modern humans.

Evidence of Culture:

Acheulean stone tools (debated)
Estimated age: 500,000 years
Location: Briqueterie, France

Double-sided, teardrop-shaped tools, like this Lanceolatehand ax, had sharp edges and were sharp enough to slice through tough animalhides. Whether or not these tools were made by Homo heidelbergensisis debated.

Mousterian stone tools (debated)
Estimated age: 200,000 years
Location: Europe and the Middle East

These tools, found in Europe, are most often associatedwith Neanderthals, but elsewhere were made by H. heidelbergensis.

Earliest use of fire (debated)
Estimated age: 500,000 years
Location: Throughout Africa, Europe, and western Asia

Homo heidelbergensis almost certainly used fire.Clear evidence of the controlled use of fire, however, is very difficult toestablish at archaeological sites, so the origin of this practice amonghominids may never be known.