Homo heidelbergensis—sometimes called Homo rhodesiensis—is an extinct species of the genus Homo which lived in Africa, Europe and western Asia from at least 600,000 years ago, and may date back 1,300,000 years.

First discovered near Heidelberg in Germany in 1907, it was described and named by Otto Schoetensack.

It survived until about 250,000 to 200,000 years ago.

Its brain was nearly as large as that of a modern Homo sapiens.Neanderthals, Denisovans, and modern humans (H. s. sapiens) are all descended from H. heidelbergensis.

Between 300,000 and 400,000 years ago, an ancestral group of H. heidelbergensis separated themselves shortly after they had left Africa.

One group branched northwest into Europe and West Asia, which eventually evolved into Neanderthals.

The other group ventured eastwards throughout Asia, eventually developing into Denisovans.

H. heidelbergensis evolved into H. sapiens approximately 130,000 years ago.

Between 70,000 to 60,000 years ago, modern humans began their journey out of Africa, expanding into Eurasia and encountering their ancient cousins.