Major Discoveries About Human Ancestors
Updated April 8, 2022 |
Infoplease Staff
Living and extinct human beings and their near-human ancestors are called “hominids“ and belong to the Hominidae family of primates. They should not be confused with “hominoids,“ which belong to the Hominoidea superfamily of primates and include apes and humans. Scientists theorize that the human and ape lines branched off from a common ancestor 8 million to 6 million years ago.
| Years ago | Species | Discovered | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| c. 2.5 million to 2.8 million | Homo naledi | 2013 Rising Star Cave outside Johannesburg, South Africa | The discovery introduced a new pre-human species of hominid. More than 1,550 bone fragments were found deep within a chamber, suggesting that the species buried its dead. This ritual was previously believed to have been unique to humans. The new species was announced in Sep. 2015. |
| c. 1.8 million | Homo erectus | 2007 Dmanisi, Georgia | May reveal how early humans moved out of Africa |
| 3.5-4.1 million | Au. anamensis | 2006 in the Afar desert, Ethiopa | The missing link in evolution between Australopithecines and earlier Ardipithecus |
| 5.8-5.2 million | Ardipithecus ramidus kadabba | 1997-1998 in Alayla, Ethiopia | May be oldest-known human ancestor. About the size of modern chimpanzees, or 4 ft tall standing. May have walked upright |
| c. 4.4 million | Ardipithecus ramidus ramidus |
1994 in Aramis, Ethiopia | Similar to A. ramidus kadabba |
| c. 4.2 million | Australopithecus anamensis |
1995, two sites at Lake Turkana in Kenya: Kanapoi and Allia Bay | Possible ancestor of A. afarensis (Lucy). Walked upright |
| c. 3.2 million | Australopithecus afarensis |
1974 at Hadar in the Afar triangle of eastern Ethiopia; Laetoli, Tanzania | Nicknamed “Lucy.“ Her skeleton was 3.5 ft (100 cm) tall. Had apelike skull. Walked fully upright. Lived in family groups throughout eastern Africa |
| c. 2.5 million | Australopithecus africanus |
1924 at Taung, northern Cape Province, South Africa | Descendant of “Lucy.“ Lived in social groups |
| c. 2 million | Australopithecus robustus |
1938 in Kromdraai, South Africa | Was related to A. africanus |
| c. 2 million | Homo habilis (“skillful“ or “handy man“) |
1960 in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania | First brain enlargement; is believed to have used stone tools |
| c. 1.8 million | Homo erectus (“upright man“) |
1891 at Trinil, Java, Indonesia | Brain size twice that of australopithecine species. “Java Man“ may have been a direct ancestor of Homo sapiens or instead developed on a separate evolutionary track. He is the first hominid to use fire and the hand ax |
| c. 195,000 | Homo sapiens sapiens (“knowing or wise man“) |
Discovered in 1964 (dated 2005) at Omo Kibish, Ethiopia | The Omo skull fossils are the oldest-known anatomically modern humans |
| Oldest Human Remains in North America Found | Life Science | Cloning: Facts and Fallacies |
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