Homo erectus

views updated May 21 2018

Homo erectus (‘upright man’) Species of early human, presumably evolved from Homo habilis, dating from c.1.5 million to 0.2 million years ago. Java Man was the first early human fossil to be found, late in the 19th century. Both it and Peking Man, another early discovery, represent more advanced forms of Homo erectus than older fossils found more recently in Africa. Our own species, Homo sapiens, probably evolved from Heidelberg Man. See also human evolution