Hominin Evolution

The major morphological, technological, and demographic events from the earliest hominins to the emergence of Homo sapiens and the Information Age.

Events in this Collection

7000000 BC

Earliest Hominin (Sahelanthropus tchadensis)

7 million years ago cranium from Chad may represent the oldest known hominin, close to the chimp-human split.
fossil chad bipedality-debate
4400000 BC

Ardipithecus ramidus in Ethiopia

4.4 million years ago “Ardi” preserves pelvis and foot, indicating facultative upright walking in a forest setting.
aramis partial-skeleton woodland-biped
3200000 BC

Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy)

3.2 million years ago partial skeleton confirms habitual bipedality; Laetoli footprints show upright gait.
hadar bipedal laetoli-footprints
2600000 BC

Earliest Oldowan Stone Tools

2.6 million years ago sharp flakes and cores mark the beginning of systematic stone-tool manufacture.
gona ethiopia lithic-technology
2400000 BC

Homo habilis Named

2.4 million years ago fossils in Tanzania show larger brain and confirmed tool-making, earning the epithet “handy man”.
olduvai brain-expansion oldowan
2000000 BC

First Major Hominin Migration (Homo erectus)

2 million years ago cranial and post-cranial remains in Georgia document earliest hominin dispersal beyond Africa.
dmanisi georgia out-of-africa
1000000 BC

Evidence of Controlled Use of Fire

1 million years ago cave deposits show burnt bone and ash, implying controlled fire use for cooking and protection.
wonderwerk-south-africa cooking hearths
800000 BC

Acheulean Hand-Axe Technology

0.8 million years ago symmetrical large cutting tools signal planning and prolonged manufacture.
homo-erectus bifacial-tools africa-asia
600000 BC

Origin of Homo heidelbergensis

0.6 million years ago fossils bridge erectus and later Homo, associated with 2-m wooden spears in Germany.
africa-europe-transition brain-size wooden-spears
400000 BC

Neanderthal Lineage Diverges

Genetic estimates place split of Neanderthal and sapiens ancestors ~400 thousands of years ago.
dna-divergence heidelbergensis europe
315000 BC

Earliest Homo sapiens Fossils (Jebel Irhoud)

315 thousand years ago Moroccan crania exhibit facial shape of modern humans yet retain elongated braincase.
morocco cranial-modernity flint-tools
280000 BC

Middle Stone Age Technocomplexes

280 thousand years ago sites yield blades, ochre, and bone tools foreshadowing symbolic behavior.
africa blade-production pigment-use
200000 BC

Early Sapiens

200 thousand years ago partial jaw from Misliya Cave extends early sapiens range into the Levant.
levant misliya israel
75000 BC

Symbolic Engraving (Blombos Cave)

75 thousand years ago ochre plaques with cross-hatched engravings represent earliest secure symbolic behavior.
south-africa ochre abstract-patterns
74000 BC

Toba Supereruption Bottleneck

74 thousand years ago Toba eruption may have reduced human populations, accelerating genetic drift.
sumatra volcanic-winter population-crash
40000 BC

Extinction of Neanderthals

40 thousand years ago last Neanderthal sites; genomic data show 1-3 % Neanderthal DNA in present-day non-Africans.
europe competition assimilation
36000 BC

Cave Art of Chauvet

36 thousand years ago Chauvet panels depict horses, rhinos, and lions with advanced perspective and shading.
france aurignacian naturalistic
10000 BC

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

10 thousand years ago, cultivation of wheat, barley, and legumes triggers village life and population growth.
fertile-crescent domestication sedentism
1760

Industrial Revolution

Mechanization of textile production and steam power reshape labor, transport, and global trade.
britain steam-engine factory-system
1947

Information Age

The invention of the transistor enables digital electronics, personal computers, and global data networks, defining the modern era.
transistor computers internet