ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Homo heidelbergensis

Homo heidelbergensis is a really old human species that lived a long time ago. They were our ancestors, meaning they were part of the family that we come from. Scientists think that they existed around 700,000 to 200,000 years ago, which is way before any of our grandparents were born.

The name 'Homo heidelbergensis' is a big and fancy word that comes from the place where the first fossils (the old bones from the human body) were found – the city of Heidelberg in Germany.

Homo heidelbergensis were not like modern humans, they were a bit different. They had bigger brains and taller bodies than some of the other human species that lived around the same time as they did. Scientists think that they were also really strong and fast, and could run really long distances.

These special humans were really skilled at making tools, which they used for hunting and working. They could also control fire and cook meat, which made it easier for them to get the nutrition that they needed to stay healthy.

Scientists know all this information about Homo heidelbergensis because they found their bones and tools all around the world, in places such as Spain, Italy, France, China, and South Africa.

Even though Homo heidelbergensis lived a long time ago and are not around anymore, they are very important because without them, we wouldn't be here today. They are part of our story as a species and help us understand where we come from.