Species Final

Ancestral Mammals

Small, active (high metabolism), well-insulated, nocturnal, insectivorous creatures with poor vision but good olfaction.

Plesiadapiforms

Early primate-like mammals (65-37 Ma) with over 135 species. Had primate-like teeth and long grasping fingers/divergent big toe with a nail, but lacked orbital convergence and leaping adaptations.

Crown Primates

Appeared in the Eocene. Possess modern primate traits including grasping hands/feet, nails instead of claws, hind-limb dominated locomotion, shorter snouts, frontated eyes with a post-orbital bar, and larger brains.

Morotopithecus

Early Miocene ape (21 Ma). Shows the first evidence of climbing adaptations (indicating it is an ape) and likely lived in a dry, semi-open to open environment.

Ekembo

Early Miocene ape (20-17 Ma). Not fully ape-like in locomotion, but encephalized, lacked a tail, had slower life history than monkeys, and had increased forearm strength/range of motion.

Dryopithecinae

Best known of the Eurasian Miocene hominoids (12-9.5 Ma). Possessed suspensory adaptations similar to modern apes (e.g., Pierolapithecus, Rudapithecus, Hispanopithecus).

Ouranopithecus

Miocene ape known from Greece (9.6-8.7 Ma). Had a cranium similar to African apes, but leaves no known fossil gorillas and only a few fossil chimpanzee teeth.

Sahelanthropus tchadensis

Earliest potential hominin found in Chad (6-7 Ma). Primitive thick brow ridges and chimp-sized brain (~350 cc); derived flat face, thick enamel, small canines, and anterior foramen magnum (suggesting bipedalism).

Orrorin tugenensis

Found in Kenya (~6 Ma). Primitive curved proximal phalanx (climbing trait); derived small teeth with thick enamel, and a femoral neck shape/length that indicates bipedalism.

Ardipithecus kadabba

Found in Ethiopia (5.2-5.8 Ma). Limited material found. Primitive honing upper canine (sharpens on lower premolar). Derived toe bone similar to later hominins, suggesting bipedalism.

Ardipithecus ramidus (Ardi)

Found in Ethiopia (4.4 Ma). Primitive opposable big toe, long fingers, thin enamel, small brain (~350cc). Derived anterior foramen magnum, bipedal pelvis adaptations, small canines, and reduced subnasal prognathism.

Australopithecus anamensis

The oldest australopith (4.2-3.9 Ma, Kenya/Ethiopia). Derived knee/ankle adaptations for bipedalism and thick enamel. Retained primitive box-shaped jaws and arboreal upper limbs.

Australopithecus afarensis

Best-known australopith (3.6-3.0 Ma, East Africa), includes "Lucy". Habitual biped (Laetoli footprints) but retained arboreal features. High body size dimorphism, intermediate canine dimorphism, prognathic face, and ape-sized brain (~404 cc).

Australopithecus africanus

First hominin found in Africa (3.5-2.2 Ma, South Africa), includes the "Taung Baby". Had a 400 cc brain, less prognathic face, beginnings of a forehead, and larger cheek teeth/deep mandible for chewing.

Australopithecus garhi

Found in Ethiopia (2.5 Ma). Name means "surprise." Had very large molars, a sagittal crest, and was found in association with cut-marked animal bones and stone tools.

Australopithecus sediba

Found in South Africa (~2 Ma). Fully bipedal but somewhat arboreal (long arms). Shows a mix of primitive (small 420 cc brain) and derived (Homo-like face, teeth, precision grip) traits.

Kenyanthropus platyops

Found in Kenya (3.5-3.2 Ma). As old as Lucy but had a flat face, small molars, and small brain. Shows a weird mixture of Australopithecus and Paranthropus features.

Paranthropus aethiopicus

Robust australopithecine (3.0-2.3 Ma, East Africa) known as "The Black Skull". Features marked prognathism, a 410 cc brain, massive molars, and a compound temporal-nuchal crest.

Paranthropus boisei

Robust australopithecine (2.3-1.3 Ma, East Africa). Hyper-robust chewing adaptations: highly orthognathic face, massive molars, molariform premolars, thick enamel, large sagittal crest, and a 500-550 cc brain.

Paranthropus robustus

Robust australopithecine (2.0-1.0 Ma, South Africa). Had a 530 cc brain, large mandible, small incisors/canines, thick enamel, and a sagittal crest.

Homo habilis

Early Homo (2.3-1.5 Ma). "Handy man," associated with Oldowan stone tools. Had a 500-600 cc brain, smaller teeth, and a parabolic dental arcade, but retained australopith-like body proportions.

Homo rudolfensis

Early Homo (2.3-1.9 Ma, East Africa). Distinguished from H. habilis by a larger cranial capacity (~775 cc) and a less prognathic face, but had larger premolars and molars.

Homo ergaster

African and Central Asian populations of early Homo (1.9-0.6 Ma). Many researchers group these together with Homo erectus.

Homo erectus

First unequivocal member of our genus (~1.8 Ma) and first to leave Africa. Had modern body proportions (long legs), a larger brain (900cc+), smaller teeth, and unique cranial features (supraorbital torus, sagittal keel). Associated with Acheulean tools.

Homo heidelbergensis

Middle Pleistocene archaic human (800-500 Ka). Had a large brain (1200-1300 cc) and higher forehead, but primitive low skull, thick brow ridges, and no chin. Known to be big game hunters (Schöningen spears).

Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals)

Cold-adapted archaic humans (300-40 Ka) in Europe/Western Asia. Massive brains (avg 1520 cc), occipital buns, taurodont teeth, large nasal apertures, and robust, barrel-chested bodies. Interbred with modern humans.

Homo floresiensis

"The Hobbit" (100k-60k years old) found in Indonesia. Had a tiny stature (~3 feet) and tiny brain (~400 cc), but used tools, controlled fire, and hunted. Likely evolved via insular dwarfing from Asian H. erectus.

Denisovans

A hominin population (300k-55k years ago) in Asia most closely related to Neanderthals. Identified primarily via ancient DNA; interbred with Neanderthals, modern humans, and Homo erectus.

Homo longi ("Dragon Man")

A skull found in Harbin, China (at least 146,000 years old) with a massive brain (1420 cc) and thick brow ridges; recent protein plaque analysis tentatively identifies it as a Denisovan.

Homo sapiens

Anatomically modern humans appearing in Africa ~300,000 years ago. Anatomically defined by a round braincase, high/vertical forehead, flat orthognathic face tucked under the skull, a protruding chin, and large brains (>1350 cc).