Imagine you are a paleoanthropologist. You have found a fossil that dates to 45 ka in Europe, and it has a cranial capacity of 1,400 cc and a chin and is associated with Aurignacian tools. How would you classify this specimen?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

- Homo ergaster is not found in Europe and lived in Africa around 1.8 million to 1 million years ago.
- Homo heidelbergensis lived in Europe around 600,000 to 250,000 years ago and had a cranial capacity ranging from 1,100 to 1,400 cc, but they did not have a prominent chin like the specimen described.
- Homo neanderthalensis lived in Europe around 400,000 to 40,000 years ago and had a cranial capacity ranging from 1,200 to 1,700 cc, but they also did not have a prominent chin like the specimen described.
- Homo sapiens is the only species that would have 1,400 cc cranial capacity and a chin, and the associated Aurignacian tools indicate a modern human culture. Therefore, the best choice is C) Homo sapiens.

Imagine You Are a Paleoanthropologist