Homoerectus and Neanderthals

Homoerectus and Neanderthals

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Biology

About Homoerectus:

• Homo erectus is an extinct species of archaic human from the Pleistocene, with its earliest occurrence about 2 million years ago.
• Several human species, such as heidelbergensis and H. antecessor — with the former generally considered to have been the ancestor to Neanderthals, Denisovans, and modern humans — appear to have evolved from H. erectus.
• Homo erectus was the first human ancestor to spread throughout Eurasia, with a continental range extending from the Iberian Peninsula to Java.
• Homo erectus had a more modern gait and body proportions, and was the first human species to have exhibited a flat face, prominent nose, and possibly sparse body hair coverage. 
• Homo erectus is associated with the Acheulean stone tool industry, and is postulated to have been the earliest human ancestor capable of using fire, hunting and gathering in coordinated groups, caring for injured or sick group members.
• Homo erectus males and females may have been roughly the same size as each other (i.e. exhibited reduced sexual dimorphism), which could indicate monogamy in line with general trends exhibited in primates.
• It is unclear if Homo erectus was anatomically capable of speech, though it is postulated they communicated using some proto-language.
• Homo erectus communities of the so-called Acheulian culture lived in the region. The communities had a varied diet, including large game, fruit and vegetables, and freshwater fish from the nearby paleo-Lakes.

Neanderthals 

Context:

• People who carry three gene variants that have been inherited from Neanderthals are more sensitive to some types of pain, according to a new study.
• The researchers found that people carrying three so­ called Neanderthal variants in the gene SCN9A, which is implicated in sensory neurons, are more sensitive to pain.

About Neanderthals

• Neanderthals are our closest extinct human relative.
• Species: Homo neanderthalensis
• They lived throughout Europe and parts of Asia from about 400,000 until about 40,000 years ago.
• Neanderthals coexisted with modern humans for long periods of time before eventually becoming extinct.

Features:

• Some defining features of their skulls include the large middle part of the face, angled cheek bones, and a huge nose for humidifying and warming cold, dry air.
• Their bodies were shorter and stockier than modern humans, another adaptation to living in cold environments.
• But their brains were just as large as modern humans and often larger – proportional to their brawnier bodies.
• Their bones reveal that they were extremely muscular and strong, but led hard lives, suffering frequent injuries.
• Neanderthals made and used a diverse set of sophisticated tools, controlled fire, lived in shelters, made and wore clothing, were skilled hunters of large animals and also ate plant foods, and occasionally made symbolic or ornamental objects.
• Fossil evidence suggests that Neanderthals, like early humans, made an assortment of sophisticated tools from stone and bones. These included small blades, hand axe and scrapers used to remove flesh and fat from animal skin.
• There is evidence that Neanderthals deliberately buried their dead and occasionally even marked their graves with offerings, such as flowers.