Abstract: On the basis of cladistic analyses, some authors have recently questioned the widely-held view that Homo erectus is a single species which existed in Asia, Africa. and Europe. It has been argued that the Asian sample is characterized by a unique set of derived features (autapomorphies) not present in the African specimens, and may thus represent a side branch of human evolution.
More precise morphological descriptions and comparisons of these suggested autapomorphic features in hominid samples form various geographic region may help shed light upon this controversy. This paper will show the presence and variability of some critical features in the Zhoukoudian and in the erectus and habilis samples from East Turkana and Olduvai.
This research was supported by the Kenyan and Tanzanian Governments, the National Museums in Nairobi and Dar-cs-Salaam, and the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) in London as well as by grants of the German Research Council (DFG).

Key words: Homo erectus; cladistics; speciation