Palaeoanthropological study of Homo erectus in Indonesia

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The island Java has yielded a number of well-preserved Pleistocene hominid fossils, including the oldest ones so far as known from Fast Asia. In order to answer various questions concerning human evolution in Asia, we have conducted morphological study on existing hominid fossil materials, excavation with the aim of finding new hominid fossils, investigation on the stratigraphic level of existing and newly discovered fossils, and so on. Major activities and results during this research period are as follows :1. Laboratory works(1)New information on the facial morphology of Javanese Homo erectus have been obtained from the study based on the new reconstruction of Sangiran 17, the most well-preserved material among the Javanese Lower/Middile. pleistocene hominid fossil skulls. For example, the zygomatic of the Javanese Homo erectus was revealed to be considerably large, indicating that their masseter muscles were well-developed. In addition, prognathism of this taxon was revealed to be not so strong as has been believed.(2)Morphology of the newly discovered hominid fossils was examined.2. Field researches(3)Three hominid fossils were newly discovered. One of them (lower central incisor) has been found from a systematic excavation and its stratigraphic level is securely known. This find is important in a context that almost all the hominid fossils from Java have been found and collected by nonprofessional local inhabitants and accordingly their exact stratigraphic position remains equivocal.(4)Stratigraphic levels of some of existing and newly discovered hominid fossils were confirmed through stratigraphic, palaeomagnetic, and rock magnetic studies, and their absolute ages were discussed.