Ergaster of Africa is now considered one of the variants of African Homo erectus. The eastern Africa Homo is considered to be the more evolved variant and hence termed as Homo erectus.
Homo erectus of Africa:
Evidence of Erectus fossils of Southern Africa was of earlier time compared to Eastern Africa. Hence giving rise to “Homo erectus Migration Theory”. In the physical features, the two variants do not indicate major variations. While in tool typology and technology a clear advancement can be noticed in the Eastern variants. Based on the timeline study, Ergaster is now placed earlier to Erectus. The Eastern variant is now based on Turkana boy Fossil which is near-complete skeleton evidence confirming the perfect bipedalism.
Globally though region-specific Fossil evidence emerged for comparison with Australopithecus or with Homo Sapiens, East African fossils are considered to be the basis. But in the context of cultural studies, different regions are used from the tools perspective to comment on the impact of ecological setting. From this point of view, the Chinese site of the Zhoukhoudian and Turkana region became distinctive regions.
The physical feature of Homo Erectus as summed up from east African evidence include:
- It presented both advanced features compared to Australopithecus and primitive features compared to Sapiens. Its skull feature includes a capacity average of 1000cc which is intermediate to Australopithecus and Sapiens.
- There was clear evidence of a huge supraorbital region and distinctive occipital ridge. Such a character is found to be unique in the Erectus fossil.
- Facial features compared to Australopithecus exhibit less prognathism and a more prominent nose. Dental arcade is more parabolic than Australopithecus approaching humans. An interesting element found in Erectus was bulky, Bull like teeth that are now considered a chief character of Erectus.
Turkana Fossil
In the context of the Turkana fossil, it is believed that the boy fails to sustain the infection of the jaw (though the theory remains inconclusive). Most of the rectus Fossil exhibit the bull-like tooth as a natural character.
With regard to past Canonical features compared to Australopithecus, the long bones of feet, upper arm bones, clavicle, and vertebral bones seem to have reached the human character. A systematic study of the Erectus in comparison with Australopithecus and Sapiens was conducted by David Pilbim who confirmed a perfectly erect posture with feet structure resembling human Erectus. With the pelvic study from the Zhoukoudian Fossil, he confirmed sexual dimorphism among Erectus compared to Australopithecus. Hence he concludes that Erectus was physically capable of giving rise to an advanced Homo species coupled with introductions of culture.