Re: Peking Man

Polly Penguin (polly@south.pole.cold)
Sun, 19 Feb 1995 05:52:18 GMT

In article <3hvurt$2a3@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, jnielsen@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (John F Nielsen) wrote:
>what is Peking Man? Is that a name used for a collection of fossils who lived in
>a cave for a few hundred thousand years?
>
>john
>--

"Peking Man" refers to a group of fossils recovered from Zhoukoudain Cave near Beijing, China. The fossils were recovered in the 1920's and 1930's and were named Sinanthropus pekinensis by Davidson Black. All of the original fossils were lost during the Japanese invasion of China during WWII.

Today they are considered members of the species Homo erectus. The fossils are dated to between 400,000 and 300,000 years ago. The earliest Homo erectus materials go back to 1.9 million years in Africa. Recent excavations by Chinese archaeologists at Zhoukoudian and other locations have yielded additional materials.

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Philip A. Nicholls |"To ask a question
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