Movement Into Pleistocene Era

2 Pages 509 Words

The current 65 million year long Cenozoic Era is divided into the five epoch Tertiary Period and the present Quartenary consisting of the recent 10,000 year Postglacial and the Pleistocene epochs. The latter is characterized by extreme alterations in climate that placed intense survival pressures on hominids. Behavioral flexibility was survival selected by abrupt, extreme ecological changes. During this period Homo erectus migrated out of Africa with a most important ability, the knowldge of fire.
In Europe and the Middle East Homo sapiens, also know as Neanderthals, evolved. A short stocky hominid of powerful physique with prominent brow ridges, a sharply sloped back forehead and a cranial capacity greater than modern humans, Neanderthals were well adapted to the temperate to arctic zone they occupied. Substantial evidence of human occupation in Europe appears coincident to the Mindel/Riss interglacial, 350,000 years ago. A new distinct archaic form of H. sapiens is evidenced in sub-Saharan Africa 200,000 years ago. The oldest fully modern humans are evident in the Klaiser River Mouth caves in South Africa from 120,000 - 60,000 years ago (Vbra, E 1996:214). DNA based research conclusions support the theory of African genesis of H. sapiens, sapiens between 200,000 and 140,000 years ago. Artifacts and remains place modern humans in the Near East 90,000 years ago (with typical Neanderthal associated tool assemblages), and in Europe 40,000 years ago, coincident to the Riss-Urm/Eem/Sangamon Interglacial (Vbra, E 1996:24-25).
The Upper Pleistocene includes the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. Middle Paleolithic behavioral changes evidenced include greater variety of flaked tools and flaking techniques, elaborated burials and nurturing of the weak or elderly. During this time similar characteristic Neanderthal tool assemblages are known from sites separated by thousands of kilometers. Season specific tasks are also evidenced. Important behav...