ABSTRACT
Many different parts of the world claim to be the cradle of humankind. Such conflicting claims exist because, scientifically speaking, there is no precise point at which humanity can be demarcated from animality. If the criteria by which one defines the human species are biological, then to be human simply means to be anatomically and physiologically similar to modern man. Biologically, therefore, human beings are still adapted to life in the subtropical environment of the African savanna. Through sociocultural know-how the members of the genus Homo known as Homo erectus were able to spread as far as the southern tip of Africa, throughout Asia, and into Europe, including Scandinavia. By that time, Homo erectus had learned to control and use fire—probably the most important single step in social evolution and in human history. Excavations at the great cave of Choukoutien, near Peking, have provided a wealth of information concerning the life of Homo erectus.
