Final answer:
Homo heidelbergensis did not live in Australia, North America, South America, or Antarctica. They were present in Africa and parts of Eurasia but it was Homo sapiens sapiens who later spread to the continents untouched by Homo heidelbergensis, following migratory routes that included the Bering Land Bridge to reach the Americas.
Step-by-step explanation:
Homo heidelbergensis did not live on all continents; they were absent from some parts of the world. This human ancestor arose approximately 600,000 years ago and is known to have lived in various regions, including Africa and Eurasia.
It is believed that Homo heidelbergensis did not inhabit Australia, North America, South America, or Antarctica. This is supported by the archaeological record, which does not show evidence of their presence on these continents. The Homo lineages that did manage to reach the Americas were modern humans, or Homo sapiens sapiens, around 16,000 to 13,000 years ago, who crossed over the land bridge known as Beringia from Asia to what is now Alaska.
The distribution of Homo heidelbergensis was limited compared to their successor, Homo sapiens sapiens, who managed to spread globally and adapt to a wide range of environments. The journey of Homo heidelbergensis was part of a larger pattern of ancient human migration that began in Africa and gradually spread to inhabit other parts of the Old World.