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In reply to the discussion: Hunters used stone-tipped spears 200,000 years earlier than previously thought [View all]muriel_volestrangler
(101,308 posts)42. While the first fossil find was over a century ago, near Heidelberg (unsurprisingly)
It's only in the last few decades that enough similar finds from around the world has convinced most scientists to have Homo heidelbergensis as a distinct species, ancestral to both Neanderthals and modern Homo sapiens:
In 1907, an ancient human jaw was discovered in a quarry at Mauer, a village near Heidelberg, Germany. The jaw had small, human-like teeth but was unlike modern human jaws in being extremely large and heavy boned. The unique features of this Mauer 1 jaw led to it being named a new species the following year. However, the species Homo heidelbergensis has only become more accepted since the end of the 20th century with the discovery of additional fossils that had features intermediate between those of earlier and later human species.
...
Fossils of this species have been found scattered across Africa and Europe. A fossilised skullcap discovered in northern Indias Narmada Valley may also be Homo heidelbergensis and if so, currently represents the easternmost occurrence of this species. Important sites include Lake Turkana, Bodo, Ndutu, Kabwe, Elandsfontein, Petralona, Mauer, Steinheim, Arago, Boxgrove, Swanscombe and Narmada.
Most fossils now known as Homo heidelbergensis were previously known as either Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis or archaic Homo sapiens. With the discovery of many more fossils over the last few decades, many researchers now accept Homo heidelbergensis as a separate species, although the designation of some fossils is still debated since they possess features that are transitional between earlier and later species.
Homo heidelbergensis began to develop regional differences that eventually gave rise to two species of humans. European populations of Homo heidelbergensis evolved into Homo neanderthalensis (the Neanderthals) while a separate population of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa evolved into our own species, Homo sapiens.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Homo-heidelbergensis
...
Fossils of this species have been found scattered across Africa and Europe. A fossilised skullcap discovered in northern Indias Narmada Valley may also be Homo heidelbergensis and if so, currently represents the easternmost occurrence of this species. Important sites include Lake Turkana, Bodo, Ndutu, Kabwe, Elandsfontein, Petralona, Mauer, Steinheim, Arago, Boxgrove, Swanscombe and Narmada.
Most fossils now known as Homo heidelbergensis were previously known as either Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis or archaic Homo sapiens. With the discovery of many more fossils over the last few decades, many researchers now accept Homo heidelbergensis as a separate species, although the designation of some fossils is still debated since they possess features that are transitional between earlier and later species.
Homo heidelbergensis began to develop regional differences that eventually gave rise to two species of humans. European populations of Homo heidelbergensis evolved into Homo neanderthalensis (the Neanderthals) while a separate population of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa evolved into our own species, Homo sapiens.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Homo-heidelbergensis
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Hunters used stone-tipped spears 200,000 years earlier than previously thought [View all]
highplainsdem
Nov 2012
OP
While the first fossil find was over a century ago, near Heidelberg (unsurprisingly)
muriel_volestrangler
Nov 2012
#42
When stone-tipped weapons are outlawed, only outlaws will have stone-tipped weapons.
slackmaster
Nov 2012
#17
Hundreds of thousands of years, eh? Today's defense contractors don't have anything on those guys
MrScorpio
Nov 2012
#4
Breaking news! Only half a million years old! Just kidding. Gotta start somewhere!
freshwest
Nov 2012
#5
How can this be? A mere 6,000 years ago we were just talking to snakes and eating apples. nt
NorthCarolina
Nov 2012
#15
Impossible. The human body is incapable of fully digesting meat. Hunting has never been...
slackmaster
Nov 2012
#16
So have a look at the dentition of our friendly vegan cousin, the gorilla:
Jackpine Radical
Nov 2012
#27
Humans are omnivores. They can and do eat pretty much whatever comes along,
kestrel91316
Nov 2012
#29
I was just joining the anti-pseudoscience bandwagon by lampooning a bizarre belief system.
slackmaster
Nov 2012
#41
It's a quick rip from hunter-gathering communities to the government forcing us...
LanternWaste
Nov 2012
#44
It's all fun and games until dietary "suggestions" from government become official policy
slackmaster
Nov 2012
#45