New dating of the Homo erectus cranium from Lantian (Gongwangling), China
Zhaoyu ZhuRobin DennellWeiwen HuangWu YiZhiguo RaoShifan QiuJiubing XieWu LiuShuqing FuJiangwei HanHouyun ZhouTing-Ping Ou YangHuamei Li
107
Citation
69
Reference
10
Related Paper
Citation Trend
Keywords:
Homo erectus
Hominidae
A number of separate lines of evidence indicate that all of the known Asian hominids are less than 1 million years old. A review of paleontologic, radiometric, and paleomagnetic data strongly supports this conclusion. This more recent age estimate provides important implications about the taxonomy and paleocultural adaptations of the early Asian hominids. All of the early Asian hominids can be accommodated in the taxon Homo erectus. This hominid species is associated in Asia with non-Acheulian cultural contexts, which may indicate substantial dependence on a sophisticated nonlithic technology.
Homo erectus
Hominidae
Radiometric dating
Cite
Citations (51)
Abstract The KNM-ER 2598 occipital is among the oldest fossils attributed to Homo erectus but questions have been raised about whether it may derive from a younger horizon. Here we report on efforts to relocate the KNM-ER 2598 locality and investigate its paleontological and geological context. Although located in a different East Turkana collection area (Area 13) than initially reported, the locality is stratigraphically positioned below the KBS Tuff and the outcrops show no evidence of deflation of a younger unit, supporting an age of >1.855 Ma. Newly recovered faunal material consists primarily of C 4 grazers, further confirmed by enamel isotope data. A hominin proximal 3rd metatarsal and partial ilium were discovered <50 m from the reconstructed location where KNM-ER 2598 was originally found but these cannot be associated directly with the occipital. The postcrania are consistent with fossil Homo and may represent the earliest postcrania attributable to Homo erectus .
Homo erectus
Hominidae
Paleoanthropology
Outcrop
Cite
Citations (26)
Homo erectus
Homo sapiens
Hominidae
Fossil Record
Australopithecus
Cite
Citations (37)
I have previously hypothesized that biological species are not the result of gradual changes in the genome or morphology as suggested by Darwin, but rather the result of punctuated major pericentric or paracentric inversions or other rearrangements (e.g., chromosome fusions) that prevent reproductive compatibility with the parent group. Following the rearrangement, a new nascent species can be formed through inbreeding within two generations consistent with the views of Goldschmidt. Applying this hypothesis to speciation in Hominidae (the great apes) suggests that (i) orangutans are close to the common ancestor of Hominidae; (ii) humans are close to the common ancestor of Hominoids, which was adapted for efficient all-terrain locomotion; (iii) gorillas and chimpanzees have passed though more species as they have adapted to a very specialized ecological niche in the tropical forest, and (iv) speciation events in Homo facilitated evolution of the human brain.
Hominidae
Genetic algorithm
Homo erectus
Ancestor
Molecular clock
Cite
Citations (5)
Homo erectus
Homo sapiens
Neanderthal
Hominidae
Australopithecus
Thorax (insect anatomy)
Cite
Citations (32)
Homo erectus
Hominidae
Paleoanthropology
Fossil Record
Cite
Citations (494)
Homo erectus
Homo sapiens
Hominidae
Gorilla
Neanderthal
Cite
Citations (64)
Two new developments promise to greatly improve our ability to reconstruct the evolution of the human life cycle: 1. the introduction of the comparative methodology of life history into anthropology and 2. research on bone and dental development that reveals a world of life history preserved in the fossil record. Comparative study suggests that the human strategy depends on rich energy sources and low mortality and that our general rate of growth and aging evolved in parallel with brain size. It now appears that the australopithecines were a substantially primitive grade of hominid with life histories more like apes than humans. The life cycle of early Homo erectus was probably unlike any living hominoid: Evidence suggests that it grew up somewhat faster than living humans, it lacked an adolescent growth spurt, and H. erectus infants were more helpless than those of chimpanzees (but conceivably of more mature body proportion and motor advancement than our own). The appearance of fully modern life histories is still not fully resolved: Early Pleistocene Homo probably did not share them, and late Pleistocene hominids probably did, but life history is still little documented in the intervening million years. Although many details remain to be uncovered, the combination of advancing method and theory should soon lead to more robust models of human origins.
Homo erectus
Hominidae
Homo sapiens
Paleoanthropology
Australopithecus
Cite
Citations (10)
Homo sapiens
Homo erectus
Hominidae
Cite
Citations (86)
Two new developments promise to greatly improve our ability to reconstruct the evolution of the human life cycle: 1. the introduction of the comparative methodology of life history into anthropology and 2. research on bone and dental development that reveals a world of life history preserved in the fossil record. Comparative study suggests that the human strategy depends on rich energy sources and low mortality and that our general rate of growth and aging evolved in parallel with brain size. It now appears that the australopithecines were a substantially primitive grade of hominid with life histories more like apes than humans. The life cycle of early Homo erectus was probably unlike any living hominoid: Evidence suggests that it grew up somewhat faster than living humans, it lacked an adolescent growth spurt, and H. erectus infants were more helpless than those of chimpanzees (but conceivably of more mature body proportion and motor advancement than our own). The appearance of fully modern life histories is still not fully resolved: Early Pleistocene Homo probably did not share them, and late Pleistocene hominids probably did, but life history is still little documented in the intervening million years. Although many details remain to be uncovered, the combination of advancing method and theory should soon lead to more robust models of human origins.
Homo erectus
Hominidae
Homo sapiens
Paleoanthropology
Australopithecus
Cite
Citations (244)