Homo antecessor

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iHomo antecessor
Fossil range: Pleistocene

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Family:	Hominidae
Subfamily:	Homininae
Genus:	Homo
Species:	H. antecessor

Binomial name

†Homo antecessor
Bermudez de Castro et al., 1997

Homo antecessor is an extinct hominin species that was discovered by E. Carbonell, J. L. Arsuaga and J. M. Bermudez de Castro. They are one of the earliest known hominins in Europe, with those from the site of Dmanisi being older. The best preserved fossil is a maxillar which belong to a 10 year old individual found in Spain which, based on palaeomagnetic measurements is thought to be older than 780-857 ka (Falguères et al., 1999:351). The average brain was 1000cc in volume. In 1994 and 1995, 80 fossils of six individuals that may have belonged to the species were found in Atapuerca, Spain. At the site were numerous examples of cuts on the bones, which indicates H. antecessor may have practiced cannibalism. Many anthropologists believe that Homo antecessor is either the same species or direct antecedent to Homo heidelbergensis, who inhabited Europe from 600,000 to 250,000 years ago in the Pleistocene. It is suggested that this is the last common ancestor of Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. No specimens of the species have yet been found in Africa.

1 Findings
2 Physiology
3 References

[edit] Findings

[edit] Gran Dolina

Archaeologist Eudald Carbonell i Roura of the Universidad Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain and paleanthropologist Juan Luis Arsuaga Ferreras of the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain discovered Homo anteccesor remains at a site in Northern Spain known as Gran Dolina in the Atapuerca Hills (near Burgos). Over 80 bone fragments from six individuals were uncovered in 1994 and 1995. The site had also included roughly 200 stone tools and about 300 animal bones. Stone tools including a stone carved knife were found along with the ancient hominin remains. All these remains date to be at least 780,000 years old. The best preserved remains are a maxilla and a frontal bone of an individual who died at 10-11 years old.

[edit] Atapuerca

The Sierra de Atapuerca site is located to the east of the city of Burgos. In this small hill is the evidence for the presence of early hominids which date over the course of the last one million years. Several arcaeological and palaeontological sites have been found in the Atapuerca hills, some of them appeared during the construction of a railway trench (Gran Dolina, Galería, Elefante) and another one is located deep in the cave, "Sima de los Huesos" (Pit of the Bones). The Homo antecessor remains have been found in the level 6 of the Gran Dolina site (also called level TD6).

In the Sima de los Huesos the same team located more than 4,000 human bones with an age of 350,000 years old. Homo anteccesor is considered as one of the earliest hominids in Europe; the oldest discovery is Homo georgicus from the Republic of Georgia at 1.8 and 1.6 million years old. The fossil pit bones include a complete cranium and fragments of other craniums, mandibles, teeth, a lot of postcranial bones (femurs, hand and foot bones, spine bones, ribs, etc.) and a complete pelvis. The pit contains fossils of around 28 individuals together with remains of bears and other carnivores. Some scientists include this species as a portion of Homo heidelbergensis, a direct ancestor of Homo neanderthalensis in Europe.

[edit] Boxgrove

In 1994 British scientists had unearthed a lower hominin tibia bone just a few kilometres away from the English Channel including hundreds of ancient hand axes at the Boxgrove site. A partial leg bone is dated to 478,000 and 524,000 years old. Homo heidelbergensis was the early proto-human species that occupied both France and Britain at that time; both locales were connected by a landmass during that epoch. Prior to Gran Dolina, Boxgrove offered the earliest hominid occupants in Europe. Investigators found another particular scratched tibia indicating cannibalism had taken place.

[edit] Physiology

Homo antecessor was about 5 and a half to 6 feet tall, and males weighed roughly 200 pounds (91 kilograms). Their brain sizes were roughly 1000-1150cc, smaller than the 1350cc average of modern humans. Due to its scarcity, very little more is known about the physiology of Homo antecessor, yet it was likely more robust like H. heidelbergensis. According to Juan Luis Arsuaga, one of the co-directors of the excavation in Burgos, the Homo antecessor might be right-handed which makes him different from the rest of apes. The hypothesis is based on tomography techniques. Arsuaga also claims that the frequency range of audition is similar to Homo sapiens' which makes him believe that Homo antecessor used a symbolic language and was able to reason [1]. Arsuaga's team is currently pursuing a DNA map of the Homo antecessor after elucidating the one of a bear that lived in Norther Spain some 500 000 years ago.

Basing on teeth eruption pattern, the researchers think that Homo antecessor had the same development stages as Homo sapiens, though probably at a faster pace. Other features acquired by the species are a protruding occipital bun, a low forehead and a lack of a chin. Some of the remains are almost indistinguishable from the fossil attributable to KNM-WT 15000 (Turkana Boy) belonging to Homo ergaster.