Homo erectus: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 26, 2026

News •

New Fossil Confirms a Human Ancestor Appeared 200,000 Years Earlier Than Expected • Oct. 21, 2026, 10:01 PM ET (ScienceAlert)

Facts

Also Known As	Homo ergaster

Photos and Videos

Side-view illustration of a Homo erectus individual, depicted with a robust, upright body covered in hair, walking with one arm bent. A scale bar beside the figure shows measurements in inches and centimeters.

map of early human species

replica of KNM-ER 3733, a fossil specimen of Homo erectus

Diagram showing the increase in hominid cranial capacity over time with illustrations of skulls from various species, including Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo sapiens, arranged along a timeline and brain volume scale for comparison.

artist's depiction of Homo erectus

A map of the Eastern Hemisphere during the Pleistocene, showing the geographic extents of several species of Homo that are thought to have existed at that time.

Reconstructed skull of Peking man, based on Homo erectus specimens found at Zhoukoudian, China, and dated to approximately 230,000–770,000 years ago.

Illustration showing side-by-side reconstructions of five hominins in the human lineage: Australopithecus afarensis, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo sapiens, with each figure labeled and depicted in a walking pose to highlight evolutionary changes in posture and body structure. A scale bar at the top right indicates relative height.

What was the first human species?

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Topics

Dali cranium Koobi Fora remains Java man Peking man Solo man Lantian man Sinanthropus human evolution Pleistocene Epoch fossil Australopithecus Neanderthal Homo habilis Australopithecus sediba Denisovan Cro-Magnon Homo floresiensis Homo heidelbergensis Boskop skull Homo naledi

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

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The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024

Animal Factoids

Lion (panthera leo)

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Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names