Homo ergaster ("working man") is an extinct
hominid species (or subspecies, according to some authorities) which arose in
Africa some 1.8 million years ago with the advent of the lower
Pleistocene and the cooling of the global climate.
H. ergaster is sometimes categorized as a
subspecies of
Homo erectus. It is currently in contention whether
H. ergaster or the later,
Asian H. erectus was the direct ancestor of modern humans.
H. ergaster may be distinguished from
H. erectus by its thinner skull bones and lack of an obvious
sulcus. Derived features include reduced
sexual dimorphism, a smaller more orthognathic face, a smaller dental arcade, and a larger (800cc) brain. It is estimated that
H. ergaster stood at 1.9m (6ft) tall. Remains have been found in
Tanzania,
Ethiopia,
Kenya,
South Africa, and out of Africa in
Georgia.
The type specimen of
H. ergaster is KNM-ER 992; the species was named by
Groves and Mazak in 1975.
The species name originates from the
Greek ergaster meaning "Workman". This name was chosen due to the discovery of various tools such as
hand-axes and
cleavers near the skeletal remains of
H. ergaster. This is one of the reasons that it is sometimes set apart distinctly from other human ancestors. Its use of advanced (rather than simple) tools was unique to this species;
H. ergaster tool use belongs to the
Acheulean industry. Charred animal bones in fossil deposits and traces of camps suggest that the species made creative use of
fire.
See also
- Evolution of Homo sapiens
Category:early hominids
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