11.10: Fossil Species Summaries
- Page ID
- 70891
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| Hominin | archaic Homo sapiens |
| Dates | 600,000–200,000 years ago (although some regional variation) |
| Region(s) | Africa, Europe, and Asia |
| Famous discoveries | Broken Hill (Zambia), Atapuerca (Spain) |
| Brain size | 1,200 cc average |
| Dentition | Slightly smaller teeth in back of mouth, larger front teeth |
| Cranial features | Emerging forehead, wide nasal aperture, midfacial prognathism, no chin, projecting occipital region |
| Postcranial features | Robust skeleton |
| Culture | Varied regionally, but some continue to use Acheulean handaxe, others adopt Mousterian tool culture |
| Other | Lots of regional variation in this species |
| Hominin | Neanderthals |
| Dates | 150,000–35,000 years ago |
| Region(s) | Western Europe, Middle East, and Western Asia only |
| Famous discoveries | Shanindar (Iraq), La Chapelle-Aux-Saints (France) |
| Brian size | 1500 cc average |
| Dentition | Retromolar gap |
| Cranial features | Large brow ridge, midfacial prognathism, large infraorbital foramina, occipital bun |
| Postcranial features | Robust skeleton with short and stocky body, increased musculature, barrel chest |
| Culture | Mousterian tools often constructed using the Levallois technique |
| Hominin | Denisovans |
| Dates | 100,000–30,000 years ago |
| Region(s) | Siberia |
| Famous discoveries | Child’s finger bone and adult molar |
| Brain size | unknown |
| Dentition | unknown |
| Cranial features | unknown |
| Postcranial features | unknown |
| Culture | unknown |
| Other | Closely related to Neanderthals (genetically) |
| Species | Homo naledi |
| Dates | 335,000-235,000 years ago |
| Region(s) | South Africa |
| Famous Discoveries | Rising Star Cave |
| Brain size | 500 cc average |
| Dentition | Reduced tooth size |
| Cranial features | Sagittal keel, large brow, well-developed frontal region |
| Postcranial features | unknown |
| Culture | unknown |
| Species | Homo floresiensis |
| Dates | 100,000–60,000 years ago, perhaps as recently as 17,000 years ago |
| Region(s) | Lingua Bua, island of Flores, Indonesia |
| Famous discoveries | “The Hobbit” |
| Brian size | 400 cc average |
| Dentition | unknown |
| Cranial features | Sagittal keel, arching brow ridges, nuchal torus, no chin |
| Postcranial features | Very short stature (approximately 3.5 ft.) |
| Culture | Similar to other tools found on the island of Flores |