Homo erectus is an extinct species of the genus Homo. Most likely the species originated in Africa, but it dispersed quickly starting from around 1.9 mya into South Asia, Europe, and Southeast Asia. In terms of looks, they looked pretty similar to modern humans. They had similar height range, with a smaller brain, bigger teeth, and a somewhat similar skull shape. Although, they had a distinct brow ridge. They were also the first species to control fire around a million years ago. The species flourished until about 200,000 years ago (Smithsonian, 2022).
Homo erectus was one of the first examples of deliberate hunting. They used a technique called persistence hunting. This technique involves one hunter going up to a herd of animals. The presence of the hunter scares the herd and they take off running. Typically they only run about 100 yards before stopping and grazing again, so the hunter runs after them and again scares them into running. Eventually, the less able members of the herd cannot go on and the hunter easily kills them (Hora, 2020).
This style of hunting makes use of two important adaptations that were present in the homo Erectus. Firstly, bipedalism allowed them to hold different equipment in their hands as well as see over the savannah. Secondly, their reality hairless bodies allowed them to keep cool and run for longer (Hora, 2020).
Overall, Homo erectus is a very interesting species that paved the way for modern humans.
“Homo Erectus.” The Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Program, 30 June 2022, https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-erectus.
Hora, Martin, et al. “Dehydration and Persistence Hunting in Homo Erectus.” Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 138, 2020, p. 102682., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102682.
Evolutionary Anthropology 