Evolution Homo heidelbergensis

homo heidelbergensis: steinheim skull replica



the swanscombe-skull (reconstruction)

around 700,000 years ago homo erectus evolved in africa new human species, homo heidelbergus, bigger brain used well-manufactured stone tools (known acheulean culture) which, in second propagation wave (out of africa ii), subsequently migrated europe, including germany , england. robust build , excellent hunting tools appeared suited dealing climate fluctuations in europe. h. heidelbergensis hominins evolved neanderthals approximately 250,000 300,000 years ago during wolstonian stage, however, comparison of neanderthal , modern human dna suggests divergence common ancestor (likely h. heidelbergensis) @ least 400,000 years ago.

because of migration of h. heidelbergensis out of africa , europe, 2 populations isolated during wolstonian stage , ipswichian stage, last of prolonged quaternary glacial periods. h. sapiens diverged between 200,000 , 100,000 years ago in africa. such fossils atapuerca skull in spain , kabwe skull in modern-day zambia bear witness 2 branches of h. heidelbergensis tree. thus, picture emerging 1 of homo erectus widespread, polytypic species, groups persisting longer in regions in others. pattern documented in china , in java contrasts in west, homo erectus seems disappear record @ relatively date .

homo neanderthalensis retained of features of homo heidelbergensis after divergent evolution. although shorter, neanderthals more robust, had large brow-ridges, protruding face, , lack of prominent chin. virtually identical cranial capacity cro-magnon, had larger brain other hominins. homo sapiens, on other hand, have smallest brows of known hominin, taller , more gracile, , have flat face protruding chin. h. sapiens have larger brain h. heidelbergensis, , smaller brain h. neanderthalensis, on average. date, h. sapiens known hominin high forehead, flat face, , thin, flat brows.

today s researchers, such chris stringer consider justifiable declare homo heidelbergensis independent chronospecies, used hold view cladistic ancestor other homo forms, improperly linked distinct species in terms of populational genetics.

in 2013 researchers published sequenced dna fossils in sima de los huesos cave in atapuerca mountains, classified members of h. heidelbergensis , thought have given rise neanderthal. [] fossils’ identity became complicated when study of maternally inherited mitochondrial dna (mtdna) 1 of bones revealed did not resemble of neanderthal. instead, more closely matched mtdna of denisovan... .

in article of 2015, matthias meyer of max planck institute evolutionary anthropology states: “indeed, sima de los huesos specimens neanderthals or related neanderthals,” after team had scanned dna markers found in neanderthals, denisovans or modern humans, found nuclear genomes of specimens more similar neanderthals. , suggests neanderthal-denisovan split happened before 430,000 years ago .

some scenarios of survival include:

h. heidelbergensis > h. neanderthalensis
h. heidelbergensis > homo sp. (denisovans)
h. heidelbergensis > homo rhodesiensis > homo sapiens idaltu > h. sapiens sapiens