120-летие Густава Генриха Ральфа фон Кёнигсвальда и история биномена Homo erectus

Abstract

Introduction. The appearance of Homo erectus binomial name is connected with the discovery and study of Pithecanthropus and Synanthropus by Eugene Dubois, Gustav Ralph von Koenigswald and Franz Weidenreich. Despite the well-known history of these discoveries, the origin of the term Homo erectus is still a subject of controversy. The study of the original publications of the authors of the discoveries of Asian ancient people helps to shed light on this issue. Another reason for the appearance of this article became the 120th anniversary of Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Konigswald, celebrated by the scientific community in 2022. Materials and methods. The author used the materials of scientific publications of the 30s-40s of the last century, biographical data and later memoirs. Comparative analytical methods of meaningful analysis of the text of the studied publications were used, as well as representations and methodological approaches of modern evolutionary anthropology. Results. The beginning of Ralph von Koenigswald's work in Java was associated with the study of paleontological finds. The most important paleoanthropological discoveries were made by him in Sangiran. A study of the publications of Ralph Koenigswald shows that the belonging of Pithecanthropus to the most ancient people did not cause him doubts. A joint study with Franz Weidenreich of Pithecanthropus and Synanthropus finds led both researchers to the conclusion that two groups were highly similar. Biographical data indicate that Ralph Koenigswald's break in working on Javanese finds was associated with his stay in captivity. Koenigswald is credited with the wartime preservation of fossil finds from Sangiran and Ngandong. Conclusion. The first mention of Homo erectus binomial name is contained in an article by Franz Weidenreich in 1940, and was noted and supported by T. Dobzhansky in 1944. Ernst Mayr's use of the term Homo erectus dates back to a later time. The role of Ralph von Koenigswald in the emergence of Homo erectus binomial name remains unknown.