The Homo Erectus species is commonly believed to have originated in Africa, particularly in the eastern part of the continent, especially Koobi Fora, Kenya, and Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. This species’ rapid evolution and migration around 1.9 million years ago produced one of the most adaptive monkeys on the planet. Due to the finding of animal bone fragments and stone tools, scientists have determined that this species was thriving in Africa and Europe, demonstrating their resourcefulness for survival. According to research, primates’ and humans’ relative brain growth patterns are comparable but not identical (Carotenuto et al., 2016). Notably,  this was a significant milestone in the evolution of Homo erectus due to the species’ high brain development at the time, which allowed it to become more imaginative in its search for food and shelter. Bipedalism was crucial to the structure and likeness of early hominins and their early display of several other characteristics of modern humans. In the late 19th century, this primate was called “Pithecanthropus erectus,” which translates to “upright, ape-man” in English. This animal’s bipedal form, plus the fact that its brain is smaller than the typical human brain, adds validity to its name; hence there is a link between the finding of a fossil and its later discovery (Carotenuto et al., 2016). Therefore, the paper will delve into how Homo erectus managed to survive successfully across three continents for about 2 million years.

Throughout the protracted and winding process of our development, several human species have contributed to the formation of the human species. In the beginning, Australopithecus africanus began to walk upright on two legs with two feet, while Homo habilis significantly progressed the development of hand-made tools. One species, Homo erectus, may be responsible for the most significant advances in human evolution (Carotenuto et al., 2016). Biologically and geographically, Homo erectus was the most advanced species, followed by Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.

As the name suggests, Homo erectus means “Upright man” for a good reason. Archaic people had arm and leg bones that were relatively close in form and proportion to today’s human beings. Homo erectus might have been able to sprint large distances like modern humans if they had the right limbs. (Dennis). Homo erectus’s legs were not only more prolonged and more developed, but they were also hairless, allowing them to absorb perspiration better and avoid overheating. Homo erectus was able to pursue down four-legged creatures to the point of exhaustion because of this advantage, which significantly improved their hunting methods (Carotenuto et al., 2016). The narrower pelvises of Homo erectus were another evolutionary alteration in their legs. As a result, babies are born with smaller heads and spend most of their childhoods growing into their adult sizes.

When Homo erectus left Africa around 1.9 million years ago, it was one of the most significant, pivotal, and divisive moments in human evolution. Homo erectus has been portrayed as a social, cooperative species actively seeking out new ecological opportunities to exploit, but some prefer a more passive, climate-driven explanation for this phenomenon (Carotenuto et al., 2016). Notably, Homo erectus is distinguished by its ecological context of dispersal, which considers the presence of other large mammals and landscape features as potential factors. Human evolution is notable because it almost passively followed the distribution of large herbivore fauna. The presence of large freshwater bodies was statistically linked to the dispersal in Africa (Rift Valley Lakes). For Homo erectus to exist in Eurasia, geological outcrops containing unconsolidated flint were likely present. During the initial dispersal stages, our model predicted that Homo erectus avoided areas with a high density of large carnivores (Carotenuto et al., 2016). As Homo erectus spread across Europe, its distribution pattern weakened, possibly due to dwindling carnivore populations and the subsequent development of Acheulean technology. H. Erectus may have preferred limestone and shaley marl at high altitudes during this time period. Homo erectus may not have been an active hunter, but our findings indicate that its avoidance of predators may have constrained its long-distance diffusion outside of Africa. According to the modeled dispersal route, Homo erectus occurs most frequently in low/middle latitude (i.e., relatively warm) regions(Carotenuto et al., 2016).

Notably, numerous scientists believe that Homo erectus is our closest living relative, though it took a long time for it to evolve into the modern man we know today. Recent evidence suggests that the species underwent a gradual transformation over time, gaining some new and distinct contemporary human characteristics. Furthermore, the species’ continual and successful transition developed physical and behavioral qualities that are very similar in nature to those of contemporary man. This shows that the species has the aptitude and adaptability to live in the same ecological system as modern man. These factors gradually but steadily increased its geographic occupancy, and it has now spread beyond Africa, its birthplace, to other continents.

In addition to these aspects, the species had a wide range of successful creativity and intelligence in new cultural technologies, which may have included improved hunting skills, generating fire, and making more complex and typologically confined sets of tools. These advancements necessitated the need to relocate and explore new areas to get additional food resources to continue their growth and support their evolutional dynamics.

Furthermore,  Homo erectus gained the aptitude and ecological intelligence to adapt to new settings and their factors, such as weather. Homo erectus. Because of this, they may be used in various locations without causing any harm.

They could also travel long distances steadily because their physical bodies had developed sufficiently and acquired the modern body shape. This also allowed them to carry out their daily activities much more quickly in different environments, discovering new places outside of their home country. Furthermore, because their native Kenya in Africa was an arid environment marked by food shortages or fluctuations in availability, they fed on meat, fruits, and vegetables that became extinct due to their increasing numbers and climate reasons and therefore turned to favorable climate environments with permanent and adequate food supply, leading to relocation from Africa.

As Homo Erectus species began to develop more and revolutionize, the brain size and skull size over time were different in shape and structure than when the oldest skull was discovered today. All this investigation was in the Olduvai Gorge area of Tanzania, where paleontologists in 1960 found the earliest known hominid fossils, which were crucial in connecting the ancient fragments to the evolution of recent findings at this place (Andy et al., 2020). Furthermore, according to research, another trait that changed over time was an increase in one’s physical stature that could be established by the age of death from teeth and bones. Another resemblance between the Homo erectus in Africa and the remains found in Europe and Asia is that as humans age older, our height rises (Andy et al., 2020). Although this species survived in Africa, it was primarily because of its excellent weather conditions that enabled them to preserve their homeostasis while seeking food and employing tools without dying from extremely hot or cold temperatures.

When Homo Erectus migrated from Africa to Europe and Asia, it was one of the most intelligent primates of this time to explore new lands for the species’ benefit. The Zhoukoudian cave system, discovered in 1918, is the most renowned site for paleoanthropology (Philip, 1991). It contains the most well-preserved fossils and stone tools of Homo erectus ever discovered. Due to regular glacial cycles, the open-land habitats of Homo Erectus benefited from a better climate, both in terms of temperature and the ability to use cooking tools. They were the first human species to use hand axes  (Acheulean tools). These were two-sided stone tools with a high level of craftsmanship (Philip, 1991). They were undoubtedly put to good use in the butchering of animals. It had been long since ancient humans and their forebears used tools as sophisticated as those made by Homo Erectus, whose earliest fossils can be found in Dmanisi.

With its crude stone tools, Early Homo erectus seems to be most adapted for scavenging flesh. More advanced populations of Homo erectus made a wider variety of stone tools and were almost undoubtedly aggressive hunters. Also, the capacity to prepare food and obtain light, heat, and protection from predators was made possible by the invention of fire, a significant step forward in human development. Hence this was crucial for the survival and migration of the Homo erectus out of Africa to Asia and Europe (Andy et al., 2020).

Even though glacial periods would bring colder and drier conditions to the open habitats on the land, the east Asian environment proved to be never close to glacial ice. The Homo Erectus’ primary food source was grazing animals, which thrived in these conditions because they were predators from the beginning (Andy et al., 2020). Homo Erectus, like many modern humans, had brains that grew as they got older, allowing them to think more critically about how to obtain food and what to do with it once they had it. Homo erectus needed more energy as its brain and body grew more significant, necessitating a more serious hunt for food each day than when they were younger.

Furthermore, Homo sapiens were able to transfer what the Homo erectus learned, utilized as tools, and experienced in diverse regions of the world into their own lives when they reached the evolutionary stage of development 200,000 years ago  (Philip, 1991). Later in evolution, according to research, further fossil evidence was discovered in China around the early 1920s, most commonly in caves (Andy et al., 2020). Homo erectus would have sought shelter in caves because of the weather, food supply, or another source of mortality, as evidenced by the majority of their bones being found in caves in China and Asia. Paleoanthropologists have concluded after extensive research that Homo erectus originated from a single population that spread outward from a single region of Africa.

References

  Carotenuto, F., et al. “Venturing Out Safely: The Biogeography of Homo Erectus Dispersal Out of Africa.” Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 95, Elsevier Ltd, 2016, pp. 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.02.005.

  Herries, Andy I. R., et al. “Contemporaneity of Australopithecus , Paranthropus , and Early Homo Erectus in South Africa.” Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), vol. 368, no. 6486, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw7293.

  Rightmire, G. Philip. “The Dispersal of Homo Erectus from Africa and the Emergence of More Modern Humans.” Journal of Anthropological Research, vol. 47, no. 2, University of New Mexico, 1991, pp. 177–91, https://doi.org/10.1086/jar.47.2.3630324.