Homo athielensis

Homo athielensis (also H. erectus athielensis) is an extinct species, or subspecies, that existed that existed between 120,000 - 776,000 years ago. It is subsumed to be a subspecies of H. erectus. Due to the very recent discovery of this subspecies, many classifications are still debated.

During the era in which this specimen lived, brain size averaged around 1,200 cc, comparable to modern humans and elves. Height averaged around 165.5 cm (1.655 blocks) for the specimens in Athiel, Tortuga. They are also postulated to have wide chests and robust overall.

H. athielensis oversaw the advent of distinctive flint handaxes, diverging from contemporary H. erectus, and probably relates to increasing intelligence. Fire, or possibly other heating sources such as springs in nearby mountains, may have became an integral part of daily life, coinciding with the appearance of widespread occupation of Rathnir and the appearance of hafting technology to create more sophisticated weapons. Because of this, H. athielensis carried out more coordinated hunting strategies and seemed to have a higher dependence on meat.

Discovery
The first specimen of H. athielensis was discovered by paleoanthropologist Regulus in the Atoan Mountain ranges, near the cities of Atopolis and Athiel, in 938 ACA. Due to this discovery, that area has been designated as a dig site. Regulus had split this off as a subspecies of H. erectus, which has been a major gray area in paleontology despite several discoveries in caves, primarily because of the mandible's archaicness. Very few descriptions were particularly made of the H. erectus by the Rathnir Paleontology Society. The mandible was somewhat preserved, with much issue. As it was dug out, the mandible flung into the air and had only been discovered after it was broken into two parts. A piece of the left side of the mandible broke off in the process and was never found. Fragments of the mid-section had also been lost.

Further finds in the Atoan Mountain Digsite are several hundred flint artefacts, which were interpreted as tools of the H. athielensis. Six months after the discovery of the specimen, a well preserved 1st left molar was discovered and has also been associated with the H. athielensis.

Evolution
H. athielensis is thought to have descended from a branch of H. erectus - during the first early expansions of hominins out of Jagdas beginning roughly two million years ago - that had ventured south from its initial projection of migration. Those that dispersed into Sørligste evolved into H. athielensis. The exact derivation from an ancestor species is obfuscated by a long gap in the human fossil record. At some point around 800,000 years ago, human dispersal must have been limited, with evidence of short-lived migrations northward beginning after a million years ago. Beginning 700,000 years ago, more permanent populations seem to have persisted coinciding with the spread of hand axe technology across Sørligste, possibly associated with the dispersal of H. athielensis and behavioral shifts to cope with cooler climates.

Skull
In comparison to early H. erectus specimens found in western and northern Rathnir, H. athielensis seem to have a much more humanlike face. The nasal opening is set completely vertically in the skull and the incisive canals on the roof of the mouth open near the teeth, and are typically oriented like those of recent species. The frontal bone is broad and the temporal squama forming the thin front and translucent upper sections of the frontal bone is high and arched, contributing to massive brain size. Taking samples from specimens in different locations of the Ato region, average brain size of H. athielensis is estimated around 1206 cc (cubic centimeters).

Build
While large portions of the build are unknown, based on the lengths of various long bones, males averaged roughly 169.5 cm and 157.7 cm for females. Unlike modern humanoid estimates, H. athielensis have a more basal pelvis and femur with an overall broader, taller, and thicker pelvis.

Pathology and Dentistry
A male pelvis found near Svartalfheim may have lived for more than 45 years, making him one of the oldest examples of this demographic in the human fossil record. This specimen was analyzed by Dr. Regulus and was shortly diagnosed with Soul Sickness based on degeneration of the joints and evidence of erosion near the neck. This presents the oldest case of Soul Sickness.

Defects in the teeth were frequently observed, indicating bouts of nutritional stress.

Food
H. athielensis seem to have consumed big game at a higher frequency than H. erectus near the Ardol Formation, with meat becoming a vital dietary component. Larger jawbones seem to suggest consumption of medium- to large animals. The inhabitants seem to have mainly eaten wild pigs, but was also found to consume baboons, cows, and other large creatures. As more research is being done, more evidence of coordinated hunting strategies have been found in addition to the existence of big game. For instance, animals may have been run into swamplands before being killed, entailing encircling and driving by a large group of hunters in a coordinated and organized attack. However, exploitation of aquatic environments are virtually non-existent despite easy access to nearby rivers and streams.

Plants were also probably frequently consumed, but the extent of their exploitation is unknown as they do not fossilize as well as animal bones. Assuming they had a diet largely dependent on meat, an individual would have to take in high amounts of sugar to prevent food poisoning, such as by eating abundant berries, sugar-cane, grass, or nuts. Southern Sørligste, especially, contains abundant amounts of edible berries.

Technology
During the time when the H. athielensis existed, production of more symmetrical stone tools replaced the widely used distinctive oval-shaped hand-axes. At the Atoan Mountain Site in the Ato region, an exceptionally well-preserved site with abundance of tool remains. Thinning may have been produced by shaping the hand axe perpendicularly with a soft, wooden hammer. In a 400,000 year old site in Windcliff, Tortuga - large lithic flakes were found scattered in valley caves from producing hand axes, possibly with the intention of recycling these flakes into other tools later. In a timespan of about 50,000 years, technological advances of hammers progressed from usage of wood to bone. Knappers (tool makers) of that time must have been forced to take some time to produce some item indirectly related to creating a desired product. This indicates a major cognitive development, especially concerning self-regulated and observational learning.