How Did Homo Heidelbergensis Survive for Roughly 600,000 Years Across Africa and Europe? — Here’s What Researchers Discovered

Homo heidelbergensis was an archaic human species that went extinct around 200,000 years ago. However, it is estimated that they lived for roughly 600,000 years as a species. They roamed Africa, Europe, and possibly some parts of Asia. Surviving for this long, in such a wide range of habitats, means they possess significant strategies that have allowed them to be successful.

It meant that they were able to find food in both hot and cold climates, they were capable of making and using tools, and they were likely very ecologically flexible. So, let’s look at the past and dive deep into how these extinct humans were able to survive for almost twice as long as we, and if they influenced our species in any way.

Tool Use & Hunting Big Game

One of the primary reasons why Homo heidelbergensis survived for so long was their tool-making and using skills. Archaeologists found hand axes and cleavers at the sites where their fossils were found. These are tools that are believed to be stronger than previous versions that other human species used.

This discovery suggests they are intelligent and capable of innovation, such as refining stone tools. These allowed them to be able to butcher meat from large animals. Additionally, they were also believed to have developed wooden spears that were used as a projectile weapon.

Together with their cooperation, the wooden throwing spears grant them the ability to routinely hunt large prey like elephants, horses, and deer. In their archaeological sites, it was also observed that the animal bones have cut marks, an indication that they were processed, either to remove the meat or access the bone marrow, which is rich in fat and other nutrients.

Read more: Smithsonian

Diet Flexibility: Plants, Meat, and Everything In Between

The Story of Homo Heidelbergensis | Ancient Human Documentary

Aside from actively hunting big game, Homo heidelbergensis also had a flexible diet. They not only relied on meat and bone marrow, but have mixed food sources instead. This is especially important in surviving in multiple different habitats, like in Africa and Europe.

So, when animals were scarce, they were thought to gather edible plant foods, like roots, tubers, and fruits. Their fossils and remains also suggested that they are capable of processing them. In other words, they are flexible in their diet, and they are capable of obtaining food sources in both cold and hot climates.

This diet flexibility would let them live in forestry areas, open savannas, high grasslands, and colder mountainous regions. It means that when one of their food sources fails, whether it is because of a lack of animals or vegetation, another source may be available.

Adaptations to Cold Climates

Homo heidelbergensis not only survived in Africa for roughly 600,000 years, but it also expanded into Europe and possibly some parts of Asia. This move meant that they needed to adapt to cold climates, where the winters are longer, with less daylight, and snow or ice all around them.

In response to this pressure to adapt, their bodies may have changed over time, where some fossils suggesting they had stocky bodies and more robust skeletons. This may be because a more compact body is much efficient in retaining heat, especially in colder climates.

However, despite physical and behavioral changes, they still would not be able to survive for so long in this harsh environment without the discovery and control of fire. This is an innovation that would be a major breakthrough as it provided warmth, protection from ice age predators, and for cooking rough dietary foods.

They also likely used animal skins and hides as clothes, and used caves or overhangs as campsites. Overall, they were able to survive in colder climates because of their adaptability and key survival traits to respond to seasonal changes and challenges presented by new environments.

Read more: Australian Museum

Mobility, Social Structure & Coping with Change

Homo Heidelbergensis: The Mysterious 'Heidelberg Man' | Prehistoric Humans Documentary

Another factor that affected the longevity of Homo heidelbergensis as a species was their social behaviors and mobility. Since they are flexible in their diets and capable of adapting to new environments using their intelligence and tool-making abilities, they were able to migrate to broad areas to follow resources.

The mobility of their species allowed them to avoid harsh conditions in their original habitats and even connect with other groups or human species. This resulted in interbreeding with other hominins, such as Neanderthals in Europe and the modern Homo sapiens in Africa.

This created a diverse gene pool that may have played a role in their adaptation to the local conditions of the habitats of other human species. It is also believed that they are ancestral to both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Because their species existed in both Europe and Africa for roughly 600,000 years, they probably developed specific helpful traits that could have been passed down to the modern human species and other hominins as they met and interbred.

Author's Final Thoughts

Homo heidelbergensis may have been a direct ancestor of both modern humans and Neanderthals. They survived for hundreds of thousands of years, adapting to several habitats across continents. Their flexible diets, innovative tool use, control of fire, cold-climate adaptations, and mobility were what made them successful until about 200,000 years ago.

In other words, they were not confined to one way of living; instead, they moved and changed according to their environments. They may be the species that paved the way so ours could be as successful as it is today.

Read next: Why Did Homo Sapiens Begin Forming Larger Groups Compared to Other Human Species Around 100,000 Years Ago? — Here’s What Experts Believe

References & Further Reading

Smithsonian Institution — Human Origins. (n.d.). Homo heidelbergensis: evidence from fossils, tools, and fire control. Smithsonian Human Origins Program. https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-heidelbergensis

Australian Museum. (n.d.). Homo heidelbergensis: tools, fire, diet, and adaptation. Australian Museum. https://australian.museum/learn/science/human-evolution/homo-heidelbergensis/

Milnepublishing. (n.d.). Homo heidelbergensis – The history and behavior of our ancient ancestor. Chapter, The History of Our Tribe: Hominini. https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/the-history-of-our-tribe-hominini/chapter/homo-heidelbergensis/

Sci.News. (2024). Homo heidelbergensis was extremely resourceful: bone tools and large-game butchery discovered. Sci.News. https://www.sci.news/archaeology/homo-heidelbergensis-horse-butchery-site-08812.html

Roebroeks, W., et al. (2011). On the earliest evidence for habitual use of fire in Europe. PNAS. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3069174/