In 1890-91, a Dutch doctor Engene Dubois, discovered a skullcap, a thigh bone and two molar teeth of Java Man, whom he named as ‘Pithecanthropus erectus’ (ape man walking erect). Later, this species was renamed as “Homo erectus Javanesis”. It was regarded as the long sought transitional stage from ape to man.
The fossils found in Java were recovered from two geological deposits Diet and Trinil beds. The geological age of Pithecanthropus finds are of early Pleistocene era.
Characteristics of Pithecanthropus erectus:
- Java man had a height of 1.73 mts. and weighed about 70 kgs.
- The maximum length of the skull was 184 mm and maximum breadth 134 mm.
- The cranial index was 70.0 and so the skull was dolichocephalic.
- The cranial capacity was 800 CC.
- The vault of the skull was low.
- The bones of the skull are found to be fused and the sutures cannot be distinguished.
- The Supra-orbital ridges are continuous and fused across the middle line.
- The frontal bone presents a slightly marked median keel
- The skull as a whole lacks any trace of sagittal crest.
- The parietal and post-parietal, regions are more or less developed and thus indicates the power of information.
- The teeth found are three in number and of enormous size.
- The femur of pithecanthropus shows a well developed linea-aspera, which suggests the erect posture.
- Pithecanthropus also had some cultural features like it had a brain, which was capable of generating some kind of speech, use of symbols, controlled, use of fire, hunting etc.
There is no denial of the fact that in many of the physical features and behaviour the erectus group was far more advanced than the apes. In various character it is more human than Simian. ‘Pithecanthropus erectus’ may not be a direct ancestor, but it certainly represents at least a collateral ancestor -‘a great Uncle rather than ‘a grand father’