Homo erectus



(source of picture: Historical Geology)

The first species to migrate from Africa during the Pleistocene glacial period was Homo erectus. This species was widely disbursed in the time frame of 1.8 - 1 million years ago. They inhabited the regions of southeastern and eastern Asia until approximately 300 000 years ago. Europe, India, China and Indonesia have all yielded evidence of Homo erectus. (Wicander and Monroe 1993 )

Characteristics of Homo erectus are a brain capacity of 800 - 1300 cc, a large face and thick skull, brow ridges and a forehead that recedes. "Tukana Boy" was an African discovery, which shows that Homo erectus had a similar body size to humans. The period that this boy lived in was 1.6 million years ago. (Wicander and Monroe 1993)

Being able to construct tools, such as handaxes, was within the capacity of Homo erectus. Homo erectus, according to some studies, made use of fire and occupied caves. (Wicander and Monroe 1993)

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