ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a description of a very important ancestor called Homo erectus. Fossil evidence shows that this species lived as early as 1.9 million years ago and may have still existed up to 70,000 years ago. That is an incredibly long span of time. They most likely originated in Africa, but left evidence of living in Europe and Asia as well. They were more capable of adapting to a variety of different climates than any hominin species before them. Their significance as an important ancestor comes from their astounding increase in brain size, stone tool making ability, taming of fire and cooked foods, and pioneering of the huntergatherer life style. They made the huge leap between man-ape and recognizable human.
