The researchers believe that the maker of the tools was likely a human ancestor called Homo erectus.

研究人员认为，这些工具的制造者很可能是一个叫做直立人的人类祖先。

Homo erectus made it as far east as China and Indonesia.

直立人向东远至中国和印度尼西亚。

Our close relative, Homo erectus, survived 10 times longer than we have existed.

我们的近亲直立猿人，比我们存在的时间长了10倍。

Homo erectus was one of the most successful human species of all time.

直立人是有史以来最成功的物种之一。

Some authorities don't believe that the Turkana finds are Homo erectus at all.

问题在于，图尔卡纳骸骨尽管相当完整，可是其他直立人的骸骨却残缺不全。

They existed exclusively on the island of Flores in Indonesia and likely evolved from Homo erectus.

他们只生活在印度尼西亚的弗洛勒斯岛上，而且很可能是从直立人进化而来的。

Homo erectus was the first member of our evolutionary lineage.

直立人是我们进化谱系的第一个成员。

To other hominids, Homo erectus must have seemed terrifyingly powerful, fleet, and gifted.

在其他人科动物的眼里，直立人肯定显得个儿大、有力气、敏捷和有才干。

It would be like wishing children never grew up or that Homo erectus never evolved into Homo sapiens.

这就好比希望孩子们永远长不大，或者希望直立人永远不会进化成智人。

And Homo erectus had already evolved weaker jaws, and smaller teeth, more than a million years before that.

而直立人进化出相对脆弱的下颌及小牙齿要比那个时候还早100万年。

This told us first of all that Homo erectus was eating meat.

这第一次向我们表明直立人是肉食人属。

But the age suggests that Homo erectus was the only possible human species at the time.

但这个年龄表明直立人是当时唯一可能的人类物种。

Homo erectus had body proportions like our species, Homo sapiens, though with a smaller brain.

直立人的身体比例和我们的智人一样，只是大脑更小。

The skull of our ancestor, homo erectus.

马特：我们祖先直立人的头骨。

It is also entirely possible that older erectus bones await discovery in Africa.

年代更久远的非洲直立人完全有可能还未被发现。

Contented Homo erectus got eaten before passing on their genes.

心满意足的直立人在传递基因之前就被吃掉了。

So, the question becomes, did Homo floresiensis evolve from Homo erectus?

那么，问题就变成了，弗洛瑞斯人是从直立人进化而来的吗？

For a time, it appears, Homo erectus was the only hominid species on Earth.

在一段时期内，直立人似乎是地球上惟一的人属。

Apparently Homo erectus first got this disease by eating large amounts of animal liver.

显然，直立人首先是通过食用大量动物肝脏而患上这种疾病的。

There is evidence now that Homo erectus had sharper mental skills than their predecessors.

现在有证据表明，直立人的智力比他们的祖先更敏锐。