The extinct hominin first named from a skull found near Java’s Solo River in 1891 was Homo erectus.
Eugène Dubois discovered the fossil at Trinil, on the island of Java, and originally called it Pithecanthropus erectus. The specimen included a skullcap, a molar, and a thigh bone. Later discoveries showed that these fossils belonged within the human genus Homo, leading to the name Homo erectus.
Homo erectus lived for roughly 1.9 million years or more, making it one of the longest-surviving human species. It was also among the earliest hominins to expand widely beyond Africa. Finds in Java, China, Georgia, and Africa document its broad range, although scientists debate how many regional fossils should be included in the species.