ExtinctZoo - The Human Species That Built Houses 1,750,0000 Years Before Us

Episode Date: April 8, 2024

It may come as a surprise, but the first human species to build proper houses was not us, Homo Sapiens, but instead another species of human that lived almost 2 million years ago. And the crazy thing is, that's only a small list of "firsts" that the they accomplished...

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Fit for your ambition for Citizens Bank. Our genus, the homogenes, which means human in Latin, first appeared roughly 2.8 million years ago in the form of Homo habilis. Life was no walk in the park for these early ancestors of ours. despite their many unique adaptations. And for nearly one million years, they and other early humans were subjected to harsh climates and ferocious predators that routinely preyed on both the young and the old.

However, all this would change 800,000 years after its emergence, when a new human species arrived in the scene that would change the course of our entire history and the world itself, becoming the first apex predators of our kind and also the first to leave the cradle of Africa. This was Homo erectus. These early humans were monumental in many ways,

including in their discovery as they were unearthed by pure coincidence, thanks to a now-disproven theory, which had taken root during the 19th century. Back then, many believed that humans actually originated in Asia, not Africa, which was simply because its geographical location made it a midway point between America and Europe, thus providing optimal migration routes. This idea, which didn't have any evidence to back it, still inspired many to travel to Asia in search of human remains,

with Southeast Asia in particular drawing much interest. Luckily enough, one anthropologist did end up finding a human specimen in Indonesia, on the island of Java, which is now referred to as the Java Man. This specimen was dug up in 1891 and consisted of a partial skull cap and femur. The man who found it, Eugene Dubois, was convinced he had made a revolutionary find and quickly tried to convince others that these fossils belong to an upright walking ape man. However, no one believed him as essentially nothing was known about early hominins at the time, and the remains eventually fell into obscurity, until that is, the 20th century,

where they were re-examined after numerous human-like remains were found in China that bore stark resemblance to the Java Man. These Chinese specimens consisted of teeth and multiple skull fragments, now known as Peking Man, despite consisting of multiple individuals. Anthropologists realized that these two belonged to the same genus, and more importantly came to the understanding that they were a species of Homo, leading to both being reclassified as Homo erectus, meaning the upright man. This name would later be further proved as new or more complete specimens showed that its legs, feet, and spine were designed for a life of walking and running upright. Many thought that this new species was the oldest Homo to be bipedal, and while this isn't

actually true, there are still many things that the Homo erectus did first when it comes to human traits, as it was the first human to have possessed a flat face, prominent nose, human-like limb proportions, and possibly even sparse body hair coverage. This made a strikingly similar in appearance to Homo sapiens, or in other words, us. but the two still have their differences. Most notably, the post-cranial skeleton of Homo erectus is more heavily built and thicker than of modern humans. Additionally, small differences are also seen in its facial features and sexual dimorphism.

These differences and similarities are generally seen throughout the entire Homo erectus species. But they do vary depending on the population as the Homo erectus had a shockingly wide range and time distribution, which led to the formation of numerous different subspecies, that today number over 27. Remains show that specifically the Homo erectus could be found throughout Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe, where they seem to have had an affinity for caves, fissures, and woodland areas. Its wide range drew great interest, and was only propelled by the fact that fossil dating showed that the oldest Homo erectus was roughly 2 million years old, and basically showed up in Asia and Africa at the same time,

leading to a debate on its evolution and migration. For a long time, it was believed that they evolved from a late Australythicus or Homo habilis in Africa, where they then migrated out of Africa expanding into Asia and Europe, driven by a changing climate. However, because of the world, the similar dating scene in old Asian and African bones, a 2011 study proposed that it was the result of an Asian hablous population that evolved into the Homo erectus, which then eventually

migrated back towards Africa and Europe. This idea, though, is not yet confirmed, and most still believe it to have originated in Africa. But regardless of its accuracy, this new study still highlights the many questions that have arisen from Homo erectus remains. And it's not just the bones itself that have led to questions, as Homo erectus is also remarkable in what has been found alongside it. Notably, the bones of medium and large-sized game, leading to the belief that this human was an apex predator. This was a huge deal, because as mentioned earlier, up until its arrival,

humans had not been at the top of the pecking order, making this a welcome change. These animal bones were commonly found in large assemblages, and consisted of a variety of megafauna including rhinos, hippos, bovine, boar, deer, horses, and elephants. Even predators that had once feasted on earlier humans now found themselves to be regular victims of Homo erectus, demonstrated by fossils in Kenya that showed an erectus, population preying on crocodiles. Such a contrast in the hunting and eating tendency of Homo erectus compared to other humans quickly led to paleontologists asking how. And through years of research, multiple answers have been found that helped to create a full picture, with one of the first

recognized reasons being its body. The Homo erectus saw a substantial increase in body size during their existence, and actually got quite large compared to earlier hominids, with some specimens even measuring 6 foot 1 or 185 centimeters in height. These individuals weren't just tall and lanky, as they were also heavily built, possessing extraordinarily thickened bones that were much heftier than what was seen in previous species and in modern humans. These girthier bones gave members a good frame, for getting roughed up during hunts and taking falls without worrying about quote-unquote fall damage. This durability was vital, but perhaps another more important aspect of its body that gave it a unique

edge over other animals was endurance. Homo erectus, like modern humans, had sweat glands that allowed for efficient cooling and had legs built for running, with trackways indicating that it was an exceptional long-distance runner who used persistent hunting to take down prey many times its size. This hunting technique involves a combination of endurance running and tracking to pursue prey until it's too exhausted to escape, and eventually leads to its succumbing to exhaustion or heat illness. It is thought that Homo erectus also injured these animals during a first attack,

which would slow the prey down while pursuing it. These initial injuries were probably created by another huge advantage seen in the Homo erectus. Weapons. Own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot machine by Aristocrat Gaming,

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Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. No one goes to Hank's for his spreadsheets. They go for a darn good pizza. Lately, though, the shop's been quiet. So Hank decides to bring back the $1 slice. He asks co-pilot in Microsoft Excel to look at his sales and costs

to help him see if he can afford it. Co-pilot shows Hank where the money's going and which little extras make the dollar slice work. Now, Hanks, has a line out the door. Hank makes the pizza co-pilot. the spreadsheets. Learn more at M365 copilot.com slash work. Its complex use of technology compared to previous hominins was thanks to its brains and intelligence. On average, the brain in adult specimens measured 1,030 cubic centimeters,

which is nearly 80% the size of a modern human's brain, which meant that the Homo erectus had the biggest brain relative to its body size at the time. As a result, it was quite intelligent, and displayed complex behavior that allowed it to construct new technology, which was so advanced that they actually ushered in a new age of technology, known as the Ashulian tool industry, which persisted from 1.95 million years ago to 130,000 years ago. The most prominent weapons associated with this age include hand axes and cleavers. which would have been used to bring down large animals. These tools would have also been used to process and butcher kills as well,

saving Homo erectus a lot of energy that would otherwise have been spent, ripping animals apart with their teeth and hands. Additionally, despite no direct evidence, it is highly believed that Homo erectus used spears and other throwing weapons to hunt as well. as the oldest known spears, which date to 400,000 years ago, show signs of innovation suggesting that spears in their more basic form have been around for far, far longer. This idea that it threw projectiles at targets was further propelled by its shoulder structure, no pun intended, which was remarkably similar to ours, meaning it was good at

throwing items at high speeds, allowing it to defend and attack from safe distances. From the perspective of other animals, these apes throwing objects at them with precision and running them down over vast distances would have been quite the unfortunate surprise. But the nightmare didn't end there, as the Homo erectus also used its intelligence to hunt in groups. This is known thanks to four trackway sites in Kenya, where 97 footprints belonging to at least 20 individuals were found. One of these trackways in particular was striking as the size and shape of the footprints indicated that it was made by a group composed of only men,

suggesting that they were a hunting party. This also led paleontologists to suspect that the Homo erectus had sexual division of labor, with men targeting larger food sources that were higher risk and possibly rarer in success, while women focused on more reliable sources like nuts and fruits, invoking a hunter-gatherer society. However, even though these hunting parties were likely not extremely consistent in their successes, they were still extremely important, as the local extinction of Homo erectus and the Levant co-aligned with the disappearance of the straight Tusk elephants. And on top of this, another localized extinction in Southeast Asia occurred after

the extinction of the giant turtle, megalocelus, suggesting that Homo erectus relied heavily on large game, which makes sense, given that their larger brains and bodies required more calories. And because their prey was often so large, it's thought that they would have had excess meat as well, leading to the practice of sharing food, perhaps even enabling them to establish the first form of health care. This idea was solidified through the discovery of specimens bearing damage that would have rendered them incapable of caring for themselves, including one elderly individual who had lost all their teeth due to gum disease. Normally, this specimen would have died from starvation. But thanks to a culture of sharing food, it was able to persist on softer remains

like brain and bone marrow. Other signs of primitive health care include a boy who had severe scoliosis and an adult that suffered from skeletal fluorosis, who were both able to survive for an extended period of time despite not being able to hunt. And the advantages of having extra food also extended past sharing and primitive health care. as Homo erectus likely also preserved their food as well, perhaps through drying and smoking the leftovers, as they were also the first humans to unlock one of the most important tools at our disposal. Fire.

While the exact date of discovery is unknown, the oldest science suggests that their use of fire extends to at least 1.5 million years ago. It is believed that at this point, fire was only used after natural, fires had occurred, which they would then tend to and keep burning for extensive periods of time, showing that they had an understanding of slow-burning materials such as dung. These fires were likely maintained by firekeepers and could have been transported from one area to the next, allowing groups to take fire with them as they migrated to colder areas, such as Ice Age Europe. Fires would obviously help keep individuals warm,

But it also had additional purposes as it acted as protection against predators, allowed for food preparation, and increased the efficiency of foods, as it made raw items safer to eat and nutrient absorption easier. That being said, for a long time, these fires were a rarity for humans. But this did change for later Homo erectus members, as roughly 400,000 years ago, fires associated with their remains became much more abundant and widespread, suggesting that they had figured out how to create fire. The many direct uses of fire were significant, but so were its indirect effects,

as it likely became a source of socializing too, with some anthropologists even thinking that this socializing element may have led to the creation of a primitive language. This contradicts the long-term belief that language in Homo erectus was dubbed impossible, as one of the earliest known specimens, the Turkana boy, did not have the necessary respiratory muscles in order to produce speech. However, it was eventually discovered that this individual in particular had severe afflictions that possibly impacted his respiratory muscles, and therefore was not a good representation of the species as a whole.

And eventually, other specimens were found that did support the possibility of a basic language, as they did have developed respiratory muscles. Additionally, the parts of their brain associated with speech and language were similar in size to that of Homo sapiens. And while their hyoid bone, which supports the tongue and controls pitch in modern humans, was not advanced enough for modern language, it was still sufficient enough to support a proto-language. But regardless if it could speak or not, it's clear that its means of communication was

effective for collaboration, as demonstrated by yet another achievement of the Homo erectus. Construction. What's interesting is that this feat actually predates the earliest known fires, as in 1962, a 1.7 million-year-old large circle composed of volcanic rocks and dirt was located in Tanzania. The circle had taken extensive damage, and therefore scientists are not exactly sure what it was, but ideas range from a primitive hut to an artificial windbreaker. Thankfully, though, since then, better preserved constructions have also been found, including huts and dwellings that were constructed with earth, rock, and branches.

Some of these structures even appear to have been built around fires, as shown by a 700,000-year-old discovery in Germany. It's thought that these structures built around fire pits may have played the purpose of winter base camps, allowing them to extend into areas that would otherwise be inhabitable for long durations. And this flexibility that technology offered Homo erectus was further propelled by their usage of clothing as well, which unlike construction had been around for far, far longer, dating all the way back to 3 million years ago. This clothing, however, was very rudimentary and was solely composed of animal hides,

which compensated for a lack of insulating body hair. From all this evidence, it's clear that the Homo erectus was highly successful, and was able to expand far and wide throughout the lands, thanks to its many advantages. But the water was not saved from their expansion either, as the Homo erectus had one more trick up their sleeves, that perhaps perplexes paleontologists the most. and that is seafaring.

While no boats belonging to Homo erectus are currently known, we do know that they were able to reach multiple isolated islands, including Flores, Timor, and Roti, that had no land bridges, making them the world's first known sailors. In addition to bones, evidence of their presence on these islands include multiple artifacts such as tools and pieces of engraved shells. which showed these trips were successful in establishing communities and were not just a result of being dragged out to sea.

And these finds don't just highlight their ability to build rafts, but also their ability to plan long-term in advance. As such trips would have taken months of preparation and planning. The ability to traverse water would have helped the Homo erectus avoid being confined to areas and was likely pivotal in its remarkable range and how long it was able to exist, as it actually existed for the longest known period of time out of any homo species,

making it in at least one way the most successful species of human to date. Specifically, dated remains to show that this early human was around for nearly 1.9 million years, with the youngest population only dying out just 108,000 years ago, For comparison, Homo sapiens have only been around for 300,000 years,

while the second longest-lived Homo species, the Habilis, didn't even achieve half of what the erectus did, as their existence was only for 600,000 years, which begs the question of what stopped these individuals and why did they die out? And the answer appears to be climate change. Just prior to their extinction, the world saw a huge decrease in their preferred habitat of woodlands, which also coincided with the disappearance of many of their prey. Additionally, the very last known specimens lived on the island of Java,

which at the time was seeing a major shift in its environment, with rainforests quickly growing in range and density. And it seems that when this started to occur, the Homo erectus was only limited to. to this last safe haven. So when the rainforest took over, they could just no longer hold on. And thus, leading to the demise of the longest-lived human species ever.

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