Definitions for "Homo erectus"
homo erectus means 'upright man'. All the fossils included in this species belong to particular human races.
speculated to be direct ancestor to human, living from 1,600,000 to 250,000 years ago
( ho mow ee-wreck tuss)A fossil hominid species dating from at least 1.8 mya to 100,000 ya or so. First appearing in Africa, H. erectus was the first hominid species to expand beyond that continent. Fossils are found throughout Africa and Asia, and there is possible evidence from Europe. Members of this species had a brain size average about two-thirds that of modern humans, made advances in stone tool technology, and were able to control fire late in their existence.