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Homo sapiens
H. neanderthalensis
H. heidelbergensis
H. erectus
H. antecessorH. habilis
H. ergaster
H. rudolfensis
Kenyanthropus platyops
Australopithecus anamensis
Australopithecus bahrelghazali
Au. afarensis
Au. africanus
Au. garhi
Chimpanzees (Pan)
Paranthropus boisei
P. robustus
P. aethiopicus
Ardipithecus ramidus
Orrorin tugenensis
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Mill
ion
s o
f Y
ears
0
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Archaic and Modern Humans: Rapid advances in brain size; suite of new behaviors. Anatomically modern humans emerge from one of the many regional variants.
Erectines: Body height of modern proportions. Increasing brain volume. Sophisticated tools are manufactured and used to kill and process small sized game.
Australopithecines: Possessed a gracile body form and were probably opportunistic omnivores/scavengers.
Habilines: Brain enlargement, first recognizable stone tools, body remains small/slight.
Paranthropines: Early hominids specialized for eating a bulky, low-grade vegetarian diet. Developed powerful chewing muscles and a generally robust skull.
Early Hominids: Brain size similar to modern chimpanzees, body remains small/slight. Hominid status may be in question.
H. floresiensis
Human Evolution Timeline A number of fossil hominid species from the
period 3.5 to 6.5 million years ago have been discovered in recent years.
They have been assigned to the following genera: Sahelanthropus
Orrorin
Ardipithecus
Australopithecus
Human Evolution Timeline
In 2001, the 6-7 my old remains of a nearly
complete skull with gorilla-like features was
unearthed in Chad.
Nicknamed “Toumai” and assigned to a new
genus, Sahelanthropus tchadensis, scientists
debate whether it is human or the remains of a
proto-gorilla.
Photos courtesy of: SkullsUnlimited.com
Human Evolution Timeline
Orrorin tugenensis, or ‘Millennium man’ was discovered in late 2000 in Kenya.
It is claimed to be the oldest hominid yet described.
Photos courtesy of: SkullsUnlimited.com
Human Evolution Timeline
Originally given the name Australopithecus ramidus, it was
reclassified under a new genus, Ardipithecus.
Two subspecies have been identified:
A. ramidus ramidus (4.4 my old) and A. ramidus kadabba (5.8 my old)
Regarded by some researchers as ‘simply an ape with some
unusual characteristics’.
Human Evolution Timeline
Discovered at Kanapoi, Kenya in 1994, this earliest known
species of the genus Australopithecus had a mixture of
primitive, ape-like features and advanced, human-like features.
Human Evolution Timeline
The last 3 million years have seen a series of adaptive radiations among the more advanced hominid groups:
Human Evolution Timeline
Discovered in Kenya, a new genus
Kenyapithecus appears to be an offshoot
from the main evolutionary branches
Photos courtesy of: SkullsUnlimited.com
Human Evolution Timeline
As many as four species from the genus Australopithecus
emerge, with a wide geographic distribution, ranging from
southern Africa, through East Africa, to Chad in the north.
Human Evolution Timeline
A group of species from the genus Paranthropus emerge in
southern and eastern Africa. Superbly adapted to exploit low
grade vegetarian diet, they coexist with the emerging genus
Homo.
Human Evolution TimelineFrom a probable Australopithecine ancestor emerges the first species of
genus Homo.
A small-brained species with fully developed bipedal locomotion, it has a
talent for shaping tools from stone. This hominid does not venture out of
Africa.
Human Evolution Timeline
What followed was an adaptive radiation of the genus Homo,
leading to increased body height, brain capacity, complex
social behavior, and a geographic distribution that extended
well beyond Africa.
Human Evolution Timeline
A recent discovery in 2003 of a ‘pygmy’ species of
human that lived on the Indonesian island of Flores
between 95 000 - 13 000 years ago.
Photos courtesy of: SkullsUnlimited.com