Turkana Boy 

Homo Erectus

Background

Date range: 1.89 million - 143 thousand years ago 
Homeland: North, East, and Southern Africa; West and East Asia (China and Indonesia)
Diet: Omnivorous, relied heavily on meat; likely honey and tubers and other plants 
Cranial Capacity: 1000 cc
Habitat: great variety; found in forests, grasslands, mostly warm and tropical regions  
Distinguishing Features: long legs and shorter relative arm size; increase in overall body size; larger brain case; prominent bro ridges, complete bipedality, midline keel on skull; small brow; wide at base of cranium

Do you think Turkana Boy
will be the survivor?

Turkana Boy's species is the earliest to have modern human body proportions, but there is great variation found within the species. Homo erectus shows evidence of controlling fire and fossils are found with the earliest hand axes, which might correlate with the great increase in brain size in comparison to its ancestors. This species is considered to likely be the first species to migrate out of Africa, which shows just how much spirit and strength this individual has. So watch out contestants! Homo erectus might be getting closer to survive! 

Important fossils belonging to this contestant:

Turkana Boy - an almost complete juvenile skeleton found in Kenya

Java Man - a cranial skull cap; found in Java, Indonesia; determined to be the type specimen for the species 

Sangiran 17 - also found in Java, Indonesia; best preserved skull of H. erectus; 

Works referenced: 
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-erectus
http://australianmuseum.net.au/homo-erectus

Photo sources: 
http://australianmuseum.net.au/uploads/images/10621/human%20evolution103_big.jpg
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-erectus