Homo erectus
2
8.2
- noun
- /ˈhoʊmoʊ ɪˈrɛktəs/
- Specialized
:
Homo erectus
- Scientists were surprised to find a Homo erectus skull dating back a million years.
- Homo erectus skulls
- Homo erectus population
It describes a competition between Homo erectus and Neanderthal to us, Homo sapiens.
- It describes a competition between Homo erectus and Neanderthal to us, Homo sapiens.
Examples
-
Much later, within the last 100,000 years, Homo sapiens emerged, also in East Africa, and replaced Homo erectus throughout the Old World.
Academic text (1997) -
Most paleoanthropologists advance an "out of Africa" hypothesis that postulates that Homo erectus, the precursor of Homo sapiens, evolved in East Africa and spread to Asia as early as two million years ago.
Academic text (1997) -
Humans have been wandering the planet for approximately 2 million years, starting with our Homo erectus ancestors.
Academic text (1993) -
Given this preliminary date, the specimens should be assigned to Homo erectus.
Academic text (1991) -
So the evidence remains inconclusive, although it is consistent with the use of fire by Homo erectus at the site.
Academic text (2002) -
Thus, the conquest occurred in a geological instant, and the other descendants of Homo erectus were gone.
Fiction book (1994) -
One intriguing question is what contact our remote ancestor, Homo erectus, may have had with the giant ape.
Academic text (1991) -
Neanderthals appeared about 230,000 years ago, evolving from a Homo erectus population that migrated to Europe from Africa about one million years ago.
Academic text (2006) -
There, in 1929, a team of Chinese and Western scientists discovered the first of a series of Homo erectus skulls that became world famous as "Peking man."
Academic text (1991) -
Some of these finds were accompanied by evidence of tool use similar to that of Homo erectus.
Synonyms
An old name for early human fossils now called Homo erectus
A former name for an early human found in Java, now called Homo erectus
An extinct early human from long ago now called Homo erectus
How Human-like
- Specialized
2
4.0
- Specialized
2
8.2
- Specialized
1
9.9
118
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
Homo + erectus
This is a Latin binomial composed of 'Homo' (human/genus) and 'erectus' (from Latin/English root meaning 'upright'), so the sense 'upright human' or a human species noted for upright posture is directly derivable from the constituents. Scientific names use this transparent compositional pattern across languages, and the root 'erect' is a recognizable English cognate, so a B1 learner who knows both words would grasp the meaning.
Etymology
Homo erectus comes from the Latin words Homo and erectus, which mean 'man' and 'upright', because its bones show it stood and walked like modern humans. So the name points to an early human species known for standing upright and using simple tools.