Homo heidelbergensis

of an earlier human species (Homo erectus) in its size, robusticity, and lack of chin. It also shows features that ally it with later species, such as the relatively small teeth. While initially suggested as an ancestor for the Neanderthals, similarities were later noted between Mauer and remains from Arago (France), which are in turn often grouped with comparable MidPleistocene fossils from Europe and Africa which are candidates for the last common ancestor. If Mauer is included in this group, it would be designated H. heidelbergensis.