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Frenemies?

For those who are aware that human evolution is not a linear process, but a tree with many different branches and families, it has always been hard to believe that no interactions occurred between two different species of hominin. Currently, there is so much data being released by researchers that prove that there were instances in which two or more hominin species existed in the same place at the same time and they would have interacted. For example, we know that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals have to have interacted and even interbred. We also know, thanks to Herries et al., that Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo erectus all existed together in Drimolen, South Africa between 2.04 and 1.95 million years ago. 

Although we know that they did exist in the same time period, we do not know how their interactions would have gone. I, like many others, believe that they would have been friendly in general, as they had to share the land. With these friendly interactions, it can also be assumed that these species may have interbred and lived in close proximity. Semaw et al. write about the slow transition from Oldowan to Acheulian tools. This example of a slower transition between the types of technology used by hominids could be indicative of how the different species would have taught each other about different methods and tool-making processes. It would not have been a quick transition between technologies, as it would take each group some time to adapt to these new methods. 

Even though I believe they would have been generally friendly with one another, there would also be lots of competition between the groups, as they were having to share land and resources. This could lead to many fights and possibly fatal encounters, as each group was trying to acquire the resources they needed to help themselves and their communities survive. This competition would have been the beginning of the end for certain species of hominins, as the other groups would outcompete them for resources, causing then to struggle to survive. 

Herries, A. I., Martin, J. M., Leece, A. B., Adams, J. W., Boschian, G., Joannes-Boyau, R., . . . Menter, C. (2020). Contemporaneity of Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and early Homo erectus in South Africa. Science, 368(6486). doi:10.1126/science.aaw7293

Semaw, S., Rogers, M. J., Simpson, S. W., Levin, N. E., Quade, J., Dunbar, N., . . . Everett, M. (2020). Co-occurrence of Acheulian and Oldowan artifacts with Homo erectus cranial fossils from Gona, Afar, Ethiopia. Science Advances, 6(10). doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaw4694

Comments

  1. Marc KisselJune 22, 2020 at 11:43 AM

    interesting! i like how you bring in the idea of slow transitions. it is hard since we tend to see 'abruptness' in the fossil record and then a lot of stasis, but this is impt to note. Its interesting. i think liek 50 yrs ago lots of folks thought that any interactions between groups would be violent. then there was a pendulum swing back and people were seeing more peacful interactions. but since the 90s or so it has been pretty much the common arguement that warfare and violence was commonplace. SO i like how you factor this in. and we have to remember that even warfare, however awful, is a form of cooperation in some sense cause you have to convince others to go and fight. how we do that is super cultually-laden...great job!

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