Life › Human evolution › The genus Homo
Homo heidelbergensis
c. 700,000–200,000 years ago· Organism or group· Human ancestors & us
DebatedScientists disagree about when, how or why.
A large-brained human species of Africa and Europe, about 700,000–200,000 years ago, often seen as the common ancestor of Neanderthals and us.
See it on the Life map →What happened
It was named in 1908 from a jaw found in 1907 at Mauer, near Heidelberg, Germany, about 600,000 years old. Related fossils include the Bodo skull from Ethiopia and the Kabwe (Broken Hill) skull from Zambia. These people had brains of about 1,100–1,300 cc, heavy brow ridges and robust bodies. They made refined handaxes, and wooden spears from Schöningen, Germany, roughly 300,000–200,000 years old, show organized big-game hunting in this period.
Why it matters
It is a leading candidate for the last common ancestor of Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo sapiens, the point where our family tree split.
The evidence (fossils, genes, rocks)
Fossils from Germany, Ethiopia, Zambia, Greece and elsewhere, plus tools and spears; DNA estimates of when the Neanderthal and sapiens lines split fit this species' age range.
Still debated
Many experts now treat it as a catch-all label. European fossils may be early Neanderthals, and some researchers place African ones in Homo rhodesiensis or Homo bodoensis.
Connections (4)
▸Homo erectus probably led to Homo heidelbergensisStrong evidence
The connection
By about 700,000 years ago, larger-brained humans appear in Africa and Europe, with brains of about 1,100–1,300 cc versus erectus's 600–1,100. Most researchers think an African erectus population evolved into this group, which kept making handaxes but with more refinement.
When and how
Africa and Europe, about 800,000–600,000 years ago; fossils such as the Bodo skull (Ethiopia) and the Mauer jaw (Germany), both about 600,000 years old.
How sure are we?
Skull shapes intermediate between erectus and later humans, in a matching time sequence. Spain's Homo antecessor fossils, about 850,000 years old, complicate the picture.
Debates and open questions
Whether Homo antecessor or other populations sit between them, and whether heidelbergensis is a real species or a convenient label for varied fossils.
▸Homo heidelbergensis probably led to NeanderthalsDebated
The connection
European fossils assigned to heidelbergensis gradually gain Neanderthal traits. At Sima de los Huesos, Spain, skeletons about 430,000 years old have Neanderthal-like faces and teeth, and their DNA places them on the Neanderthal line, suggesting Neanderthals grew out of Europe's heidelbergensis-like population.
When and how
Europe, about 600,000–250,000 years ago; Sima de los Huesos ('pit of bones') at Atapuerca, Spain, with about 28 individuals, whose DNA was published in 2016.
How sure are we?
Ancient DNA from the Sima fossils ties them to Neanderthals; skulls show a piecemeal shift toward Neanderthal anatomy over time.
Debates and open questions
If early Neanderthals already existed 430,000 years ago, the Mauer jaw and others may belong to their line rather than to a shared ancestor. The naming is unsettled.
▸Homo heidelbergensis may be the ancestor of Homo sapiensDebated
The connection
In Africa, heidelbergensis-like fossils such as Bodo and Kabwe come before the earliest Homo sapiens. Many researchers think an African population of this kind evolved into our species by about 300,000 years ago, while related populations elsewhere led to Neanderthals and Denisovans.
When and how
Africa, about 600,000–300,000 years ago; Bodo (Ethiopia, about 600,000 years) and Kabwe (Zambia, about 300,000 years).
How sure are we?
DNA puts the split between our line and the Neanderthals' at about 550,000–765,000 years ago, fitting this group's time span. Which fossils are ancestral is uncertain.
Debates and open questions
African fossils are sometimes renamed Homo rhodesiensis or Homo bodoensis. Kabwe, at 300,000 years, may be a cousin that lived alongside early sapiens, not an ancestor.
▸Homo heidelbergensis may be ancestral to DenisovansDebated
The connection
Denisovans are the Neanderthals' sister group, sharing an ancestor that split from our line hundreds of thousands of years ago. If heidelbergensis-like populations spread across Eurasia, an eastern branch may have become Denisovans while a western branch became Neanderthals.
When and how
Eurasia, after about 500,000 years ago; Denisovans are known from Siberia, Tibet, Taiwan and northeastern China.
How sure are we?
Genetic family trees show the Neanderthal–Denisovan split, estimated at roughly 400,000–450,000 years ago. Linking it to heidelbergensis fossils is inference, not direct evidence.
Debates and open questions
Some Chinese fossils, such as Dali and Jinniushan, may be Denisovans or related forms. Whether 'heidelbergensis' is a useful ancestor label at all is debated.