What was Homo erectus like? What were they like physically, and what do we know of their behaviors, tools, etc.?
Answer. Homo erectus was around 1.5 million-year-old ancestor of humans and was named so because they were considered to remain upright without any bending. The height of Homo erectus ranged from 3 feet to 6 feet in height and they had relatively longer legs and shorter hands he . The species was known for exceptionally big brain sizes and was supposed to originate from Africa. They were primarily hunters who were always in search of food to quench their large appetites. Homo erectus was proficient in the use of almost all of the stone tools and is known to use fire for cooking and wood for rafting on the river surface.
When did the species Homo erectus first appear on earth, according to our current information?
Answer. As per the age of fossils, the Homo erectus first appeared around 2 million years ago in the African continent. They are also assumed to originate fro African region and subsequently migrate to the other parts of the world like Vietnam, India, etc.
How did Homo erectus hunt? How was the relative absence of body hair important to their survival?
Answer. The Homo erectus were the first of human race to hunt in groups, and they developed the art of group hunting to ensure that even the weakest of the group was given a fare share of the hunt. The absence of hair/fur on their bodies aided in managing the diverse climatic conditions as the body temperature was regulated without any obstruction.
How was sociality important to their survival, i.e., how was group cooperation and communication important to Homo erectus flourishing as a species?
Answer. The sociality was extremely important for the survival of Homo erectus because it ensured the group hunting techniques and ease of life due to development of complex tools. They were also acknowledged to have a semi-verbal form of communication which was not as competent as humans but relatively better than that of apes. Thus, their sociality enabled better communication and cooperation for their easy survival.
At the ~35:00 mark of the program, we have a discussion of Homo erectus’ migration out of Africa. Approximately how long ago did this take place?
Answer. As depicted in the program, after the discovery of Homo erectus fossils in Georgia (Caucasus), the fossils were dated to be around 1.8 million years old . Hence, it was confirmed that the Homo erectus started migrating from Africa as soon as they came into existence which is around 1.8 – 2 million years ago.
At the ~39:35 mark, the program begins discussing the fascinating species Homo floresiensis. What is noteworthy about this recent find? What do the narrators mean when they mention “island dwarfism”?
Answer. The Indonesian islands of Florensis were discovered with almost 3 feet tall fossils who were named as the Hobbit. This came to be a surprising discovery because the fossil’s size was almost similar to Lucy (the 3 feet tall fossil found in Africa). The presence of stone tools also confirmed their similarity to Homo erectus. The process of Island dwarfism was accredited to their small size which is a process in which mammals living on isolated islands get reduced in their physical form due to a shortage of the food and other resources.
