BioConcepts

Homo erectusHomo erectus (lat.)

• A species of hominid that lived between 1.8 million and 300 000 years ago, stood upright, had a brain slightly smaller than that of modern humans, and was the first Homo species to migrate beyond Africa. (Oxford Dict. of Environment and Conservation 2007) 
  category man

  1895

  Disusing then, Dr. DuBois’ name Pithecanthropus, we have left as the appellation, Homo erectus DuBois. This name is distinctly absurd, as it is applicable to all members of the genus Horno. The law of priority, however, requires that we use it in case the species is new.

  Cope, E.D. (1895). The neanderthal man in Java. Amer. Nat. 29, 192-193: 193.

  1940

  Instead of Pithecanthropus erectus we should speak of Homo erectus javanensis. Sinanthropus pekinensis should be replaced by Homo erectus pekinensis or sinensis and Homo soloensis by Homo neanderthalensis soloensis, etc.

  Weidenreich, F. (1940). Some problems dealing with ancient man. Amer. Anthropol. 42, 375-383: 383.

  1944

  Java and Peking man are sufficiently distinct from modern man so that they have to be considered a separate species, which must be called Homo erectus.

  Mayr, E. (1950). Taxonomic categories in fossil hominids. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol. 15, 109-117: 113; cf. id. (1944). On the concepts and terminology of vertical subspecies and species. Bull. Nat. Res. Counc. 2, 11-16.