early hominids
Our ancient forebears
Early hominids are the prehistoric primates in the human evolutionary lineage, spanning roughly seven million years before modern humans emerged.
The term covers species like Australopithecus and Homo erectus—creatures that walked upright but retained apelike features.
In casual use, early hominids evokes a picture of cave-dwelling ancestors: The exhibit featured early hominid skull casts.
- bipedalismWalking on two limbs
- great apesTailless primate family
- stone toolsShaped rocks for tasks
- hand axesHandheld prehistoric stone blades
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
fossil record · cranial capacity · brain size · radiometric dating · cave dwellers · opposable thumbs · hunting strategies · African savanna · social groups · Lucy · cooperative behavior · Neanderthals · Ardipithecus · missing link · migration patterns · Denisovans · knuckle-walking · Rift Valley