Homo heidelbergensis
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Homo heidelbergensis | ||||||||||||||||
Homo heidelbergenis is an extinct species of the Homo genus and the common ancestor of both the Neanderthal man (Homo Neanderthalensis) and the Cro-magnon man (Homo Sapiens). It is descended from the morphologically very similar Homo erectus. However, heidelbergensis is thought to have possessed a larger brain case and innovated more advanced tools and behaviors thus meriting a seperate species classification. Many new forms of tools and human-like behaviors were innovated by this species.
Homo heidelbergensis first appeared roughly 780,000 years ago and was significantly more intelligent than Homo erectus, which appeared 1 million years ago. The exact area that this species occupied is unknown due to insuffience fossilized remains, but it is known that it flourished in Europe for several hundred thousand years.
It is thought that many aspects of the Acheulean era (early paleolithic) tool case were innovated and utilized by this species. Homo heidelbergenis also innovated many more advanced tools not associated with the early paleolithic period, such as throwing spears. Recent findings in Europe also suggest that heidelbergensis may have been the first species of the Homo genus to bury thier dead, but that is hotly contested at this time.