Athena Review Image Archive ™
Homo erectus skullcap from Trinil
Skullcap of Homo erectus from Trinil, Java (YPM cast; photo: Athena Review)
This Homo erectus skullcap, found in Trinil, Java by Eugene Dubois in 1891, dates from the Middle Pleistocene period at about 600,000 years ago. This was the first definite find of a Homo erectus fossil. The name derives from Homo, "man" and erectus, "erect or bipedal." Dubois also found a femur indicating upright posture of the fossil hominid.
One of the main criteria for determining the fossil ancestry of early humans is evidence of bipedal posture, which distinguishes man from apes. While there is now evidence that the split came at least as early as 6-7 mya, at the time of Dubois' discovery in 1891, 600,000 years already indicated a considerable time range for human evolution.
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