Solo Man

Ngandong 14. Homo erectus

Solo Man refers to the fossilized remains of a prehistoric human discovered in the Ngandong region on the banks of the Solo River in Java, Indonesia. These remains are significant in the study of human evolution and are classified under the species Homo erectus.

Discovery

The Solo Man fossils were discovered in the 1930s by a team of Dutch and Indonesian researchers. The site, located near the village of Ngandong, yielded a number of skull caps and other skeletal remains. These fossils are estimated to be between 550,000 and 143,000 years old, making them some of the most recent examples of Homo erectus.

Physical Characteristics

The remains of Solo Man exhibit typical Homo erectus features, including a low, elongated skull, prominent brow ridges, and a robust build. The cranial capacity of Solo Man is estimated to be around 1,100 cubic centimeters, which is within the range of modern humans but on the lower end.

Significance

Solo Man is crucial for understanding the later stages of Homo erectus evolution and their eventual transition to modern humans, Homo sapiens. The relatively recent age of the fossils suggests that Homo erectus may have coexisted with early modern humans in Southeast Asia.

Related Discoveries

Other significant Homo erectus finds in Indonesia include the Java Man fossils discovered at Trinil and the Sangiran fossils. These discoveries collectively provide a comprehensive view of Homo erectus in the region.

See Also

• Homo erectus
• Java Man
• Ngandong
• Solo River
• Human evolution