Photo AI
1931 a team of Dutch archaeologists unearthed 12 skulls and two leg bones at a site in Ngandong, Indonesia - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 9 - 2020 - Paper 1
Question 9
1931 a team of Dutch archaeologists unearthed 12 skulls and two leg bones at a site in Ngandong, Indonesia. Describe two key structural features of these fossils th... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:1931 a team of Dutch archaeologists unearthed 12 skulls and two leg bones at a site in Ngandong, Indonesia - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 9 - 2020 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe two key structural features of these fossils that would suggest the skulls were from Homo erectus rather than from Homo sapiens.
Answer
-
Smaller Brain Case: One of the key structural features that suggests the fossils belong to Homo erectus is the smaller brain case compared to Homo sapiens. Homo erectus had a brain size that typically ranged from 600 to 1,100 cubic centimeters, which is smaller than that of modern humans.
-
Larger Brow Ridge: Another distinguishing feature is the more prominent brow ridge found in Homo erectus. This robust brow ridge is significantly larger and more pronounced than that of Homo sapiens, indicating different evolutionary adaptations.