Why is there disagreement on the classification of many fossils dating to between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago?

The reason is that in this period, fossils have a mix Homo erectus and the modern homo sapiens traits and features. This is called Homo heidelbergenesis.

Further information:

Fossils:

Fossils are the remains and traces of ancient organisms.  

Homo-Heidelbergenesis:

Extinct species that lived in Africa, Europe and Western Asia between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago called Homo-Heidelbergenesis.

Species Description:

The structure of this species share features with both Homo erectus and anatomically modern Homo sapiens. The archaic H. heidelbergensis brain was bigger than H. erectusand smaller than most modern humans, and the skull is more round than in H. erectus. Skeleton and teeths of H.heidelbergenesis are mostly smaller than in H.erectus, but quite larger than modern species/humans. Many still have large brow edges and receding foreheads and chins. There is no clear sharing line between late H. erectus and H. heidelbergensis, so numerous fossils between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago are hard to categorize as one or the other.

Answer details:

Subject: Biology

Level: High school

Keywords:  

•Fossils

•Homo-heidelbergenesis

•Description of Homo-heidelbergenesis

•Disagreement in the classification of fossils

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segmented body, an exoskeleton made from chitin, and joint appendages.