heidelbergensis

Homo heidelbergensis is an extinct species of the genus Homo that lived in Africa, Europe, and possibly Asia from about 600,000 to 200,000 years ago. It is named after the type specimen, the Heidelberg jaw found near Heidelberg, Germany, in 1907 and described by Otto Schoetensack in 1908.

Anatomy and variation: Cranial capacity ranges roughly from 1100 to 1400 cubic centimeters, with averages around 1200 cm3. The skull typically shows prominent brow ridges, a low rounded forehead, and a relatively prognathic face. The dentition is sizable, and there is little or no chin. The postcranial skeleton is robust, suggesting a tall and muscular build adapted to endurance locomotion and demanding activity.

Culture and technology: H. heidelbergensis used Acheulean-style tools, including hand axes, and some sites show evidence of more diverse toolkits. The Schöningen site in Germany preserves wooden spears dated to around 400,000 years ago, indicating planned hunting and the use of long-range weapons.

Taxonomy and evolutionary significance: H. heidelbergensis is commonly treated as a widely distributed archaic Homo species bridging Homo erectus and later humans. Many researchers regard African populations of H. heidelbergensis as ancestral to Homo sapiens, while European populations are viewed as precursors to Homo neanderthalensis. Some fossils are variably assigned to different lineages or to regional subspecies such as Homo rhodesiensis.