Homo
| Homo | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Homo ergaster/erectus skull | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Hominidae |
| Subfamily: | Homininae |
| Tribe: | Hominini |
| Genus: | Homo Linnaeus, 1758 |
Homo is a genus of upright primates that walk on two legs. The only living species in this genus is Homo sapiens: modern humans.
Ancestry
The genus began about 2.3 million years ago. Its ancestors were almost certainly some line of Australopithecine apes. Compared to them, species of Homo have:
- A larger brain (above 900ml)
- Improved walking and running ability.
Evolution
As the genus evolved, the forehead became more vertical, the skull became rounder, the teeth got smaller, the arms got shorter and the legs got longer. The skeleton became more delicate, particularly in our species.
All Homo species used stone tools, but there is no evidence of when language developed. Human evolution remains a much-studied topic.
Extinct species
- Homo habilis
- Homo rudolfensis
- Homo gautengensis
- Homo ergaster
- Homo erectus
- Homo floresiensis
- Homo juluensis
- Homo rhodesiensis
- Homo georgicus
- Homo naledi
- Homo antecessor
- Homo cepranensis
- Homo heidelbergensis
- Homo luzonensis
- Homo longi
- Homo bodoensis
- Homo helmei
- Homo tsaichangensis
- Homo neanderthalensis
- Denisovans
References
- ↑ Alexander, Richard D. 1990. How did humans evolve? Reflections on the uniquely unique species. Special Publication. Ann Arbor, MI: Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.
- ↑ Flinn, Mark V.; Geary, David C.; Ward, Carol V. 2005. Ecological dominance, social competition, and coalitionary arms races: why humans evolved extraordinary intelligence. Evolution and Human Behavior. 26 (1): 10–46.
- ↑ Hartwig, Walter C., ed. 2002. The Primate fossil record. Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology. 33. ISBN 978-0-521-66315-1