▁of ▁hom in in ▁foss ils ▁( five ▁c ran ia ▁and ▁four ▁mand ibles ) ▁from ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁site ▁near ▁D man isi , ▁Georgia . ▁They ▁were ▁discovered ▁in ▁exc av ations ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁D ated ▁to ▁approximately ▁ 1 . 8 5 - 1 . 7 5 ▁Ma , ▁these ▁foss ils ▁may ▁morph olog ically ▁represent ▁the ▁populations ▁of ▁hom in ins ▁that ▁initially ▁em igr ated ▁out ▁of ▁Africa . ▁Their ▁small ▁brain ▁size , ▁primitive ▁ske let al ▁architecture , ▁and ▁range ▁of ▁variation ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁point ▁of ▁debate ▁for ▁their ▁tax onom ic ▁status . ▁The ▁foss il ▁hom in ins ▁have ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁exhib iting ▁similarity ▁to ▁H omo ▁erg aster , ▁H omo ▁ge org icus , ▁and ▁are ▁class ified ▁as ▁either ▁H omo ▁ge org icus , ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁sub species ▁of ▁H omo ▁ere ct us , ▁H omo ▁ere ct us ▁ge org icus . ▁ ▁The ▁large ▁range ▁of ▁variation ▁between ▁the ▁five ▁individuals ▁is ▁striking ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁ge ographical ▁and ▁temporal ▁proxim ity ▁with ▁one ▁another . ▁The ▁large ▁degree ▁of ▁variation ▁present ▁in ▁these ▁spec im ens ▁calls ▁into ▁question ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁the ▁morph ological ▁differences ▁between ▁H . ▁ere ct us , ▁H . ▁erg aster , ▁and ▁H . ▁rud olf ensis ▁are ▁due ▁to ▁in - species ▁variation ▁as ▁well . ▁Reg ard