Species↕ | Period↕ | Region↕ | Brain Size (cc)↕ | Height (cm)↕ | Key Trait↕ | Relation to H. sapiens↕ | Status↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sahelanthropus tchadensis | 7-6 MYA | Central Africa (Chad) | 350 | — | Earliest known possible hominin; small canines suggest upright posture | Possible ancestor | Extinct |
Orrorin tugenensis | 6.1-5.7 MYA | East Africa (Kenya) | — | — | Femur suggests bipedal locomotion; one of the oldest hominins | Possible ancestor | Extinct |
Ardipithecus kadabba | 5.8-5.2 MYA | East Africa (Ethiopia) | — | — | Toe bone suggests bipedality; lived in forested environments | Possible ancestor | Extinct |
Ardipithecus ramidus | 4.4 MYA | East Africa (Ethiopia) | 350 | 120 | Partially bipedal but retained tree-climbing ability; 'Ardi' skeleton | Possible ancestor | Extinct |
Australopithecus anamensis | 4.2-3.8 MYA | East Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia) | 370 | — | Earliest definitive australopithecine; bipedal with ape-like face | Ancestor | Extinct |
Australopithecus afarensis | 3.9-2.9 MYA | East Africa (Ethiopia, Tanzania) | 430 | 107 | Fully bipedal; famous 'Lucy' skeleton; Laetoli footprints | Likely direct ancestor | Extinct |
Kenyanthropus platyops | 3.5-3.2 MYA | East Africa (Kenya) | — | — | Flat face distinguishes it from Australopithecus; debated classification | Uncertain branch | Extinct |
Australopithecus africanus | 3.3-2.1 MYA | Southern Africa | 460 | 138 | First australopithecine discovered ('Taung Child'); omnivorous diet | Possible ancestor | Extinct |
Australopithecus garhi | 2.5 MYA | East Africa (Ethiopia) | 450 | — | Found near earliest stone tools; possible link to Homo | Possible ancestor to Homo | Extinct |
Paranthropus aethiopicus | 2.7-2.3 MYA | East Africa | 410 | — | Massive jaw and sagittal crest for heavy chewing; 'Black Skull' | Side branch (robust) | Extinct |
Paranthropus boisei | 2.3-1.2 MYA | East Africa | 510 | 137 | Enormous molars ('Nutcracker Man'); specialized plant diet | Side branch (robust) | Extinct |
Paranthropus robustus | 2.0-1.2 MYA | Southern Africa | 530 | 132 | Robust jaw; coexisted with early Homo; used bone tools | Side branch (robust) | Extinct |
Homo habilis | 2.8-1.5 MYA | East & Southern Africa | 610 | 130 | First stone toolmaker (Oldowan tools); 'Handy Man' | Direct ancestor | Extinct |
Homo rudolfensis | 2.0-1.5 MYA | East Africa (Kenya) | 750 | — | Larger brain and flatter face than H. habilis; debated classification | Possible direct ancestor | Extinct |
Homo ergaster | 1.9-1.4 MYA | East & Southern Africa | 850 | 180 | Tall, long-legged; 'Turkana Boy'; African form of early Homo | Direct ancestor | Extinct |
Homo erectus | 1.9 MYA - 110 KYA | Africa, Asia (Java, China) | 950 | 170 | First to control fire and leave Africa; Acheulean hand axes | Direct ancestor | Extinct |
Homo antecessor | 1.2-0.8 MYA | Western Europe (Spain) | 1,000 | 175 | Oldest known hominin in Europe; possible cannibalism evidence | Possible common ancestor of sapiens & neanderthalensis | Extinct |
Homo heidelbergensis | 700-200 KYA | Africa, Europe | 1,250 | 175 | Wooden spears, cooperative hunting; ancestor of both sapiens and Neanderthals | Common ancestor | Extinct |
Homo naledi | 335-236 KYA | Southern Africa (Rising Star Cave) | 560 | 150 | Small brain but deliberate body disposal; mix of primitive and modern traits | Side branch | Extinct |
Homo neanderthalensis | 400-40 KYA | Europe, Western & Central Asia | 1,400 | 165 | Buried dead, made art, used medicinal plants; interbred with sapiens (1-4% DNA in non-Africans) | Cousin species | Extinct |
Denisovans | 300-50 KYA | Siberia, Southeast Asia | — | — | Known mainly from DNA; interbred with sapiens (4-6% DNA in Melanesians); high-altitude gene EPAS1 | Cousin species | Extinct |
Homo floresiensis | 100-50 KYA | Indonesia (Flores) | 380 | 106 | Island dwarfism; 'The Hobbit'; used stone tools despite tiny brain | Side branch | Extinct |
Homo luzonensis | 67-50 KYA | Philippines (Luzon) | — | — | Small-bodied island species; curved toe bones suggest tree climbing | Side branch | Extinct |
Homo sapiens (archaic) | 300-100 KYA | Africa (Morocco, Ethiopia) | 1,350 | 170 | Jebel Irhoud fossils; modern face but elongated braincase | Early us | Evolved into modern H. sapiens |
Homo sapiens (modern) | 100 KYA - present | Global | 1,350 | 170 | Language, symbolic art, agriculture, civilization; only surviving hominin | Us | Extant |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Frequently asked questions
How is the Human Evolutionary Tree list ranked?
The Human Evolutionary Tree list is ranked by community votes. Every visitor can pick one option over another in head-to-head matchups, and the running totals determine the order you see. No editors or algorithms — just real people voting.
How many entries are in this Human Evolutionary Tree dataset?
This dataset contains 25 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the Human Evolutionary Tree data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 25-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
Related Datasets
More in Science
Human Evolution — Complete Timeline of Hominin Species
Every known hominin species from Sahelanthropus tchadensis 7 million years ago to modern Homo sapiens. Includes brain sizes, height estimates, geographic range, tool use, and what makes each species significant in the story of human evolution. The most comprehensive hominin species list available as structured data.
Types of Microscopes
Light, electron, scanning probe or fluorescence - which microscope revolutionized how we see the invisible?
Famous Biology Experiments
Mendel's peas, Miller-Urey's primordial soup, Hershey-Chase blender or CRISPR - which breakthrough shaped biology the most?
Unsolved Problems in Mathematics
Famous unsolved problems in mathematics.
Famous Mathematical Theorems
Pythagoras, Fermat's Last, Godel's Incompleteness or the Poincare Conjecture - which proof is the most beautiful?
SpaceX Launches
The 100 most recent SpaceX launches with mission name, date, rocket, success status, and details.
Greatest Telescopes & Observatories
Hubble, JWST, ALMA, VLT — the eyes humanity built to see the universe, and what they found.
Planets of the Solar System
All 8 planets of our solar system with type, distance from the Sun, diameter, moon count, and orbital period in Earth years.
Types of Beehive & Apiary Design
Langstroth, top-bar, Warré — which beehive design keeps bees happiest and produces the best honey?
Famous Space Missions
Landmark space missions from the dawn of the Space Age to modern exploration, covering crewed flights, robotic probes, and orbital telescopes.
Types of Black Holes
Stellar, supermassive, intermediate or primordial - which flavor of gravitational monster would you peer into?
Gemstones & Precious Stones
Popular gemstones and precious stones with their physical properties, primary sources, symbolism, and market value.