Homo antecessor ('pioneer man') is an archaic human species from 1.2 to
0.8 million years ago during the Early Pleistocene. Fossils have been
found in the Sierra de Atapuerca in Spain, the first in 1994. The
species was one of the first humans to colonise Western Europe. They
followed savanna habitats prevalent in the area when frigid glacial
periods were transitioning to warmer interglacials, and vacated at other
times. Despite being so ancient, they had a face unexpectedly similar to
that of a modern human. Brain volume could have been 1,000 cm3
(61 cu in) or more, compared with present-day human averages of
1,270 cm3 (78 cu in) for males and 1,130 cm3 (69 cu in) for
females. Stature estimates range from 162.3 to 186.8 cm (5 ft 4 in to
6 ft 2 in). H. antecessor manufactured simple pebble and flake stone
tools out of quartz and chert, although they used a variety of
materials. Many of the specimens found were cannibalised, perhaps as a
cultural practice. There is no evidence of fire usage.Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_antecessor> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1757: Seven Years' War: Prussian forces led by Frederick the Great defeated the allied French and Habsburg armies at the Battle of Rossbach. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rossbach> 1950: Korean War: The 27th British Commonwealth Brigade succeeded in preventing a Chinese breakthrough at the Battle of Pakchon. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pakchon> 2009: U.S. Army major Nidal Hasan went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, the worst shooting ever to take place on an American military base, killing 13. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Fort_Hood_shooting> 2013: The Indian Space Research Organisation launched the Mars Orbiter Mission (depicted), the nation's first interplanetary probe. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Orbiter_Mission> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: bonfire: 1. A large, controlled outdoor fire lit to celebrate something or as a signal. 2. A fire lit outdoors to burn unwanted items; originally (historical), heretics or other offenders, or banned books; now, generally agricultural or garden waste, or rubbish. 3. (figuratively) Something like a bonfire (sense 1 or 2) in heat, destructiveness, ferocity, etc. 4. (obsolete) A fire lit to cremate a dead body; a funeral pyre. 5. (transitive) 6. To destroy (something) by, or as if by, burning on a bonfire; (more generally) to burn or set alight. 7. (ceramics) To fire (pottery) using a bonfire. 8. (obsolete) To start a bonfire in (a place); to light up (a place) with a bonfire. 9. (intransitive, rare) To make, or celebrate around, a bonfire. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bonfire> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: This is only the land of take-what-you-want. Anarchy means "without leaders", not "without order". With anarchy comes an age of Ordnung, of true order, which is to say voluntary order … this age of Ordnung will begin when the mad and incoherent cycle of verwirrung that these bulletins reveal has run its course … This is not anarchy, Eve. This is chaos. --V for Vendetta <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
