Human Evolution
Further information: Timeline of human evolutionThe Human Evolutionary Series | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appearance | Taxa | Relationships | Status | Description | Image |
36-32 Ma |
Genus
|
The oldest primitive monkey known in the fossil record, dating back before the split between Old and New world monkeys. | Basal to both Old and New world monkeys. | Primitive traits
Derived traits
|
|
33 Ma |
Genus
|
A Miocene monkey which bridges the gap between the Eocene ancestors of Old world monkeys and Miocene ancestor of Hominoidae. | Tentatively positioned transitional form prior to the Old world monkey/ape split. | Primitive traits
Derived traits
|
|
27-14 Ma |
Genus
|
This primate has very ape-like features like its teeth, but much of its post-cranial remains are more similar to monkeys. | Universally accepted to be intermediate between 'ape-like monkeys' such as Aegyptopithecus and later apes including hominids. | Primitive traits
Derived traits
|
|
13 Ma |
Genus:
|
A European ape which is considered to be the predecessor of the great apes. | Some objections have been raised to this fossils status due to its location in Spain, but Pierolapithecus is likely a transitional taxon between generalized apes and the lineage which led to great apes. | Pleisomorphic traits
Derived traits
|
|
4.4 Ma |
Genus:
|
A woodland hominid adapted to quadruped arboreal locamotion, but also for bipedalism. | Intermediate between the last common ancestor of chimps and humans, and the australopithecines. | Primitive traits
Derived traits
|
|
4.4-2.0 Ma |
Genus:
|
First known genus of fully bipedal apes which are probably ancestral to robust australopiths and the genus Homo | Intermediate between extinct quadrupedal and bipedal apes. While the relationship between some species are being revised, Australopithecus afarensis is considered to be, by most experts, the ancestor to all later hominids. | Primitive traits
Derived traits
|
|
2.5-1.5 Ma |
Species:
|
An early human which is the morphological link between australopithecines and later human species. | Perfect intermediate between early hominids and later humans, possibly ancestral to modern humans. | Primitive traits
Derived traits
|
|
2.0-1.0 Ma |
Species:
|
Very successful hominid, which was probably ancestral to both modern humans and neanderthals. Probably the first hominid to leave and successfully colonize territories outside of Africa. | Ancestral to modern humans and neanderthals. | Primitive traits
Derived traits
|
|
500 Ka-recent |
Species
|
Archaic sapiens were the immediate ancestors of modern humans which evidently displaced the neanderthals in Europe and the island 'hobbits' of southeast Asia. 'Archaic' H. sapiens evolved from Homo erectus about half a million years ago but still retains some primitive characteristics such as relatively thick bones and molars larger than modern humans. | Ancestral to modern humans. | Primitive traits
Derived traits
|
|
Read more about this topic: List Of Transitional Fossils
Famous quotes containing the words human and/or evolution:
“Physically there is nothing to distinguish human society from the farm-yard except that children are more troublesome and costly than chickens and calves and that men and women are not so completely enslaved as farm stock.”
—George Bernard Shaw (18561950)
“The evolution of sense is, in a sense, the evolution of nonsense.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (18991977)