Ancestral Hominins Geologic Time Date Location Genus Species Notable fossils name 6 0 7 0 mya Chad central Africa Sahelanthripus tchadensis Miocene 6 0 mya Tugen Hills of Kenya Orrorin tugenensis Ancestral to hotly debated whether early hominin cranial capacity proposed species split African Ape African Ape Other common traits tool tradition diet etc Small ape size brain small canines Angle of face more like humans Bipedal seen from muscle attachement in femur might be partly arboreal adapted to arboreal and terrestrial movement reduced canines human and ape like pelvis arms and legs equal hands wrists no adaptation to climbing could support weight on branch Primitive Small brain jutting lower face small earhole Derived Small molars flat face tall cheek region Australopithecus anamensis Australopithecus afarensis Homo habilus Middle Awash site in Ethiopia Ardipithecus ramidus Ardi 4 4 mya Australopithecus anamensis 300 350 cc Unknown 3 5 3 2 mya West Turkana Kenya reported by Meave Leakey Kenyanthropus platyopus Homo rudolfensis 400 500 cc Australopithecus anamensis Pliocene 3 0 3 7 mya Dated using K Ar Hadar Ethiopia Australopithecus afarensis Lucy Australopithecus garhi Homo habilis Australopithecus africanus Ape like skull small brain prognathic bipedal slightly arboreal teeth smaller than anamensis 2 5 3 3 mya South Africa Australopithecus africanus Paranthropus Small brain large face large back teeth 400 500 cc Ancestral Hominins 2 5 2 7 mya East Africa Australopithecus aethiopecus also called Paranthropus black skull Paranthropus boisei sagittal crest prognathism large temporal fossas forward zygomatics selection for enhanced chewing 410 cc Paranthropus may be most likely candidate for ancestor of Homo 2 6 1 2 mya East Africa Australopithecus boisei N A Pleistocene 1 2 2 mya South Africa Australopithecus robustus N A Large temporal fossas forward zygomatics selction for chewing more robust than robustus 500 550 cc Paranthropus aethiopecus Tall and broad ramus large zygomatics selction to enhanced leverage 530 cc Paranthropus 2 5 mya 1 9 1 4mya Homo rudolfensis Kenya 2 4 1 6mya 600 800cc Homo ergaster African specimens Ancestral Hominins 300 kya Across the Old World Homo heidelbergensis Homo sapien sapiens Homo sapien neanderthalensis Skull is higher and more well rounded not as prognathic tall and powerfully built 1 200 cc Homo ergaster Pleistocene cont d 125 28 kya Europe Middle East Homo neanderthalensis N A occipital bun signs of caring for elderly and injured Mousterian tools short and stocky large brains Larger than Homo sapien sapiens H sapien neanderthalensis About 12 kya Flores SE Asia Homo floresiensis The hobbit N A One meter tall long arms slightly prognathic pronounced brow ridge continuoius nasal ridge sloping forhead small teeth wide at base of skull post orbital constriction flared zygomatics long upper lombs between apes humans robust lower limbs derived foot morphology ape wrist morphology Australopithic like pelvis 380 cc N A Species bank Australopithecus garhi Homo erectus Homo heidelbergensis Homo neanderthalensis Homo floresiensis