Hominid Species Time Line

Page 23

Homo Georgicus—“Dimanisi” Man—The First Humans Out of Africa?

From 1991 to 2001, an international team led by Georgian scientist David Lorkkipanidze made a series of spectacular finds of early hominids far outside of eastern, southern or even central Africa—and dating to approximately 1.8 million years ago.  The site of the discovery is a rich fossil bed in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains.

 Skull D2700, front view

While having many features in common with H. habilis and H. erectus, this group of hominids have surprisingly small brains, from 600 to 750 cc.  Accordingly, it has been difficult to assign them to either group.  In 2002, they were assigned to a separate, newly defined species, Homo georgicus (“man from Georgia”).

Skull D2700, front view

The discovery of this species so far from the presumed African homeland of human species—and so early in the history of our genus—has completely upset the previously assumed chronology of human migrations out of Africa.  The first significant migration out of Africa was thought to have occurred about a million years ago, and was accomplished by with the assistance of an impressive assemblage of stone tools and the ability to control fire.  The discovery of H. georgicus thriving in western Asia without the benefit of erectus technology or perhaps much in the way of brain power was indeed a surprise.  It could be argued that this particular time was a warm period in the earth’s history, and that the African climate and typical faunal had expanded northward, bringing this homo species with them.  That would reserve the glory of adapting to new and different non-African climates to the later Homo erectus pioneers.

However, at roughly the same time, in the 1990’s, new finds and new dating techniques were establishing Homo erectus (or unknown erectus predecessors) in China at an even earlier date, perhaps before 2 million years BP.  And similar human species were present in Indonesia almost as long ago.

References:

Homo georgicus on TalkOrigins.org