Skip to main content
Book cover

Handbook of Paleoanthropology pp 2167–2187Cite as

Homo ergaster and Its Contemporaries

Abstract

On the basis of their strong morphological differences from the Javan type materials, many authorities now consider the diverse East African fossils initially classified as “African Homo erectus” to be more properly allocable to the species H. ergaster. However, while this separation at the species level of the African and Indonesian hominids is certainly justified, the species H. ergaster as thus constituted still embraces a significant morphological variety. Indeed, although this grouping of African fossils seems to form a fairly coherent clade, it also appears quite diverse. The East Turkana type mandible of H. ergaster is matched by other specimens from Kenya and Tanzania, but not by the mandible of the iconic WT 15000 skeleton, and in its turn this specimen fails to match either in its cranial construction or its upper dentition most of the other comparable specimens usually referred to H. ergaster. Clearly there is a need for a systematic reappraisal of the entire “African Homo erectus” = Homo ergaster group, and equally clearly the hominid evolutionary story throughout the Old World in the Early–Middle Pleistocene was more complex than is implied by the extension of the species H. erectus to cover the entire miscellaneous assemblage of hominid fossils from this time period.

Keywords

  • Early Hominid
  • Hominid Evolution
  • Hominid Fossil
  • Lower Dentition
  • Olduvai Gorge

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-39979-4_53
  • Chapter length: 21 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   1,099.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-3-642-39979-4
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Hardcover Book
USD   1,199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

References

  • Asfaw B, Gilbert WH, Bayene Y, Hart WK, Renne PR, WoldeGabriel G, Vrba ES, White TD (2002) Remains of Homo erectus from Bouri, Middle Awash, Ethiopia. Nature; 416:317–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boule M. L’homme fossile de la Chapelle-aux-Saints. Ann Paléontol. 1911–1913;6:1–64, 7:65–208, 8:209–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bräuer G, Schultz M (1996) The morphological affinities of the Plio-Pleistocene mandible from Dmanisi, Georgia. J Hum Evol 30:445–481

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham D (1895) The place of “Pithecanthropus” on the genealogical tree. Nature 53:269

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson WW (1995) A new species of the genus Homo (Primates: Hominidae) from the Plio-Pleistocene of Koobi Fora, in Kenya. Primates 36:69–89

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Gabounia L, de Lumley M-A, Vekua A, Lordkipanidze D, de Lumley H (2002) Découverte d’un nouvel hominidé à Dmanissi (Transcaucasie, Géorgie). C R Paleovol 1:243–253

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Gabunia L, Vekua A (1995) A Plio-Pleistocene hominid from Dmanisi, East Georgia, Caucasus. Nature 373:509–512

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gabunia L, Vekua A, Lordkipanidze D, Swisher CC, Ferring R, Justus A, Nioradze M, Tvalcrelidze M, Anton S, Bosinski GC, Jöris O, de Lumley MA, Majsuradze G, Mouskhelishvili A (2000) Earliest Pleistocene hominid cranial remains from Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia: taxonomy, geological setting and age. Science 288:1019–1025

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Groves CP, Mazák V (1975) An approach to the taxonomy of the Hominidae: Gracile Villafranchian hominids of Africa. Cas Miner Geol 20:225–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Henke W (1995) Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Dmanisi mandible. In: Radlanski RJ, Renz H (eds) Proceedings of the 10th international symposium on dental morphology. Christine und Michael Brünae GbA, Berlin, pp 459–464

    Google Scholar 

  • Holloway RL, Broadfield DC, Yuan MS (2004) The human fossil record. Vol. 3: brain endocasts, the paleoneurological evidence. Wiley-Liss, New York

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Leakey R (1972) Further evidence of lower Pleistocene hominids from East Rudolf, North Kenya. Nature 237:264–269

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Leakey R, Walker A (1976) Australopithecus, Homo erectus and the single species hypothesis. Nature 261:572–574

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lordkipanidze D, Vekua A, Ferring R, Rightmire GP, Agustí J, Kiladze G, Mouskhelishvili A, Ponce de León M, Tappen M, Zollikofer CPE (2005) The earliest toothless hominin skull. Nature 434:717–718

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lordkipanidze D, Jashashvii T, Vekua A, Ponce de León M, Zollikofer CPE, Rightmire GP, Pontzer H, Ferring R, Oms O, Tappen M, Bukhsianidze M, Agustí J, Kahlke R, Kiladze G, Martinez-Navarro B, Mouskhelishvili A, Nioradze M, Rook R (2007) Postcranial evidence of early Homo from Dmanisi, Georgia. Nature 449:305–310

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lordkipanidze D, Ponce de León M, Margvelashvili A, Rak Y, Rightmire GP, Vekua A, Zollikofer CPE (2013) A complete skull from Dmanisi, Georgia, and evolutionary biology of early Homo. Science 342:326–331

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lü Z, The Tangshan Archaeological Team (1996) Locality of the Nanjing man fossils. Cultural Relics Publishing House, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Mallegni F, Carnieri I, Bisconti M, Tartarelli G, Ricci S, Bidittu I, Segre AG (2003) Homo cepranensis sp. nov. and the evolution of African-European Middle Pleistocene hominids. C R Paléovol 2:153–159

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Mayr E (1950) Taxonomic categories in fossil hominids. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 15:109–118

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mounier A, Condemi S, Manzi G (2011) The stem species of our species: A place for the aschaic human cranium from Ceprano, Italy. PLoSOne 6(4):e18821

    Google Scholar 

  • Rightmire GP (1990) The evolution of Homo erectus: comparative anatomical studies of an extinct human species. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Rightmire GP, Lordkipanidze D, Vekua A (2006) Anatomical descriptions, comparative studies and evolutionary significance of the hominin skulls from Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia. J Hum Evol 50:115–141

    CrossRef  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schwalbe G (1899) Studien über Pithecanthropus erectus Dubois. Morphol Anthropol 1:16–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz JH, Tattersall I (2000) What constitutes Homo erectus? Acta Anthropol Sin 19(Suppl):18–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz JH, Tattersall I (2003) The human fossil record. Vol. 2: craniodental morphology of genus Homo, Africa and Asia. Wiley-Liss, New York

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz JH, Tattersall I (2005) The human fossil record. Vol. 4: craniodental morphology of early hominids (genera Australopithecus, Paranthropus, Orrorin) and overview. Wiley-Liss, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Spoor F, Leakey MG, Gathogo PN, Brown FH, McDougall I, Kiarie C, Manthi KF, Leakey LN (2007) Implications of new early Homo fossils from Ileret, east of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Nature 448:688–691

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall I (1986) Species recognition in human paleontology. J Hum Evol 15:165–175

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall I (1992) Species concepts and species identification in human evolution. J Hum Evol 22:341–349

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall I (1995) The fossil trail: how we know what we think we know about human evolution. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall I (1998) Becoming human: evolution and human uniqueness. Harcourt Brace, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall I (2008) The fossil trail: how we know what we think we know about human evolution, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall I, Schwartz JH (2009) Evolution of the genus Homo. Ann Revs Earth Planet Sci 37:67–92

    CrossRef  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Theunissen B (1988) Eugene Dubois and the ape-man from Java: the history of the missing link and its discoverer. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Vekua A, Lordkipanidze D, Rightmire GP, Agustí J, Ferring R, Majsuradze G, Mouskhelishvili A, Noradze M, Ponce de León M, Tappen M, Tvalchrelidze M, Zollikofer C (2002) A new skull of early Homo from Dmanisi, Georgia. Science 297:85–89

    CrossRef  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walker A, Leakey R (1978) The hominids of East Turkana. Sci Am 239(2):44–56

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Walker A, Leakey R (1993) The Nariokotome Homo erectus skeleton. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West @ 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA

    Ian Tattersall

Authors
  1. Ian Tattersall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ian Tattersall .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Anthropologie, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany

    Winfried Henke

  2. Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA

    Ian Tattersall

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

Tattersall, I. (2015). Homo ergaster and Its Contemporaries. In: Henke, W., Tattersall, I. (eds) Handbook of Paleoanthropology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39979-4_53

Download citation