HOMO ERECTUS & ERGASTER

=''Homo erectus'' & ''Homo ergaster''= (the upright man & working man) [image:http://i.imgur.com/x9yrCIl.png?1] Approximately 1.6 million years ago, ''H. habilis'' was replaced by ''Homo erectus''. Like ''habilis'', the face has protruding jaws with large molars, no chin, thick brow ridges, and a long low skull, with a brain size varying between 750 and 1225 cc. Early ''erectus'' specimens average about 900 cc, while late ones have an average of about 1100 cc. The skeleton is more robust than those of modern humans, implying greater strength. Compared to earlier hominids, ''H. erectus'' has a larger brain capacity, reduced size of face and cheek teeth, and thicker cranial bones though the bones of the limbs show little change. ''Homo erectus'' was fully adapted to bipedal walking and could run (probably faster than modern humans!). [image:http://i.imgur.com/WhaRxog.png?1] '''Dispersal''' ''Homo habilis'' and all the australopithecines are found only in Africa, but ''erectus'' was wide-ranging, and has been '''found in Africa, Asia, and Europe'''. Those found in Africa (such as the ‘Turkana Boy’) have slightly different details of the skull (e.g. the brow ridges differ in shape, slightly smaller brain), are slightly taller and more slender. Some even classify these African forms of ''erectus'' as a distinct species; ''Homo ergaster''. Asian ''erectus'' finds (such as the ‘Peking man’ in China) have a slightly shorter, sturdier build. [image:http://i.imgur.com/IXN2hfo.png?1] '''Acheulian Tools''' ''H. erectus'' also used more sophisticated, tear-drop shaped stone tools that could be used as a hand axe for hunting. This represents a major shift in human evolution from being a scavenger to being a '''hunter-gatherer'''. [image:http://i.imgur.com/LpJzI3U.png?1] '''First to use fire!''' Charred remains indicate that ''erectus'' was the first to use fire. This led to further development of regions in the brain associated with communication. The remains of an ''erectus'' individual who sustained a serious injury to the femur (leg bone) but survived suggests that this individual was looked after by other members, denoting a more complex social structure.