us ▁is ▁a ▁chron os pecies ▁and ▁was ▁never ▁ext inct , ▁so ▁that ▁its ▁" late ▁surv ival " ▁is ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁tax onom ic ▁convention . ▁Late ▁forms ▁of ▁H . ▁ere ct us ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁surv ived ▁until ▁after ▁about ▁ 0 . 5   mill ion ▁ago ▁to ▁ 1 4 3 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁at ▁the ▁latest , ▁with ▁derived ▁forms ▁class ified ▁as ▁H . ▁ante cess or ▁in ▁Europe ▁around ▁ 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁and ▁H . ▁he idel berg ensis ▁in ▁Africa ▁around ▁ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁H . ▁he idel berg ensis ▁in ▁its ▁turn ▁spread ▁across ▁East ▁Africa ▁( H . ▁rh odes i ensis ) ▁and ▁to ▁E uras ia , ▁where ▁it ▁gave ▁rise ▁to ▁Ne ander th als ▁and ▁Den is ov ans . ▁ ▁H . ▁he idel berg ensis , ▁Ne ander th als ▁and ▁Den is ov ans ▁expanded ▁north ▁beyond ▁the ▁ 5 0 th ▁parallel ▁( E arth am ▁Pit , ▁Box gro ve ▁ 5 0 0 ky a , ▁Sw ans com be ▁Heritage ▁Park ▁ 4 0 0 ky a , ▁Den is ova ▁C ave ▁ 5 0 ▁k ya ). ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁late ▁Ne ander th als ▁may ▁even ▁have ▁reached ▁the ▁boundary ▁of ▁the ▁Ar ctic , ▁by ▁c . ▁ 3 2 , 0 0 0