hominin
Great ape relative
Hominin refers to humans and their extinct relatives after the evolutionary split from chimpanzees, roughly six to seven million years ago.
The group includes modern humans, Neanderthals, and earlier ancestors like Australopithecus.
Scientists use hominin when discussing human evolution: The fossil record shows hominins walked upright before developing large brains.
Science of ancestral human remains
- fossilsPreserved ancient organism traces
- NeanderthalExtinct archaic human species
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
- LucyFeminine name meaning light
Leakey · osteology · morphology · cranial capacity · fossil record · skeletal remains · excavation · dating methods
Tailless higher primate
- great apeTailless primate, human-adjacent
- chimpanzeeGreat ape, genus Pan
- bonoboCongo Basin great ape
- gorillaLargest great ape
orangutan · gibbon · simian · primate · anthropoid · opposable thumb · brachiation · knuckle-walking
Differential reproductive success
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- geneticsScience of hereditary transmission
mutation · extinction · divergence · genomics · genetic drift · selection pressure · survival · convergent evolution
Predecessor in lineage
- forebearsAncestral family members
- progenitorsOriginal ancestors of a lineage
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- descentDownward slope or lineage
heritage · predecessors · genealogy · roots · origin · family tree · bloodline · kinship
Earliest archaeological era
- Stone AgeEra of knapped tools
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- PlioceneLate Neogene epoch
- MiocenePre-Pliocene geological epoch
cave paintings · handaxe · flintknapping · glaciation · ice age · cave dwelling · hunting · gathering
Vertical or morally sound
- two-leggedHaving a pair of limbs
- gaitLocomotion pattern
- locomotionAbility to travel independently
- postureBody position, alignment
erect · walking · stride · pelvis · femur · spinal curvature · heel strike · terrestrial
paleoanthropology
Science of ancestral human remains
- fossilsPreserved ancient organism traces
- NeanderthalExtinct archaic human species
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
Lucy · Leakey · osteology · morphology · cranial capacity · fossil record · skeletal remains · excavation · dating methods · reconstruction
ape
Tailless higher primate
- great apeTailless primate, human-adjacent
- chimpanzeeGreat ape, genus Pan
- bonoboCongo Basin great ape
gorilla · orangutan · gibbon · simian · primate · anthropoid · opposable thumb · brachiation · knuckle-walking · social structure
natural selection
Differential reproductive success
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
genetics · mutation · extinction · divergence · genomics · genetic drift · selection pressure · survival · convergent evolution · climate adaptation
ancestor
Predecessor in lineage
- forebearsAncestral family members
- progenitorsOriginal ancestors of a lineage
- lineageDescent from progenitors
descent · heritage · predecessors · genealogy · roots · origin · family tree · bloodline · kinship · common ancestor
Paleolithic
Earliest archaeological era
- Stone AgeEra of knapped tools
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- PlioceneLate Neogene epoch
Miocene · cave paintings · handaxe · flintknapping · glaciation · ice age · cave dwelling · hunting · gathering · rock shelter
upright
Vertical or morally sound
- two-leggedHaving a pair of limbs
- gaitLocomotion pattern
- locomotionAbility to travel independently
posture · erect · walking · stride · pelvis · femur · spinal curvature · heel strike · terrestrial
- Early HumansNeanderthal, Cro-Magnon, Australopithecus, caveman, Lucy
- human evolutionNeanderthal, Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon, Australopithecus, Lucy
- Apeschimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, gibbon, bonobo