Final answer:
A late surviving group of H. erectus in Java managed to survive there until less than 50,000 years ago. They existed alongside Homo sapiens and other hominin species, underlining the diverse and complex nature of human evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
There is a very late surviving H. erectus group in Java that apparently managed to survive there until less than 50,000 years ago. Homo erectus is an early species in the genus Homo that evolved about 1.9 million years ago in East Africa and migrated to Eurasia. Remarkably, this species managed to endure for quite an extensive period, and against significant odds, some populations survived on Java until relatively recent prehistoric times. The survival of this group is notable as they existed alongside anatomically modern humans and other hominin species, reflecting the diverse and complex nature of human evolution.
It's important to note that while H. erectus was believed to have lived until about 50,000 years ago, other related hominin species also survived in Southeast Asia around the same period. For example, Homo floresiensis, known for their small stature, lived on Flores Island in Indonesia from about 100,000 to 60,000 years ago. Additionally, Homo luzonensis, which presented a mixture of australopithecine and Homo traits, was found on Luzon Island in the Philippines and dated to at least 50,000-67,000 years ago.