Homo in the Middle Pleistocene: Hypodigms, Variation, and Species Recognition

摘要: It is generally accepted that modern humans evolved in Africa. This consensus has emerged the last two decades, as molecular evidence been coupled with findings from paleontology and prehistory. Patterns of DNA variation living populations, morphology fossils, archeological traces can all be read to show our species deep roots Africa began disperse into other regions only late Pleistocene. There are still questions about timing these dispersals extent which people replaced or exchanged genes other, more archaic groups, but new problems now coming clearly focus. These relate ancestry Homo sapiens Middle In this essay, I emphasize available Pleistocene localities Europe, exploring among individuals, composition hypodigms, species-level taxonomy, evolutionary relationships hominin populations. One obvious difficulty fossils scarce. For most part, incomplete crania African localities. The record comprehensive for Sima de los Huesos Spain, principally jaws known European sites. means skull traits measurements must provide basis sorting individuals groups building differential diagnoses. much material, dating poorly controlled, although a few important assemblages placed securely within chronological framework. Despite constraints, it possible point toward tentative solutions.