Homo (genus)

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For other uses, see Homo.
Homo
Skull of Homo neanderthalensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Subfamily: Homininae
Tribe: Hominini
Subtribe: Hominina
Genus: Homo
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

Homo sapiens
See text for extinct species.

Homo is the genus that includes modern humans and their close relatives. The genus is estimated to be about 2.5 million years old, evolving from Australopithecine ancestors with the appearance of Homo habilis. Appearance of Homo coincides with the first evidence of stone tools (the Oldowan industry), and thus by definition with the beginning of the Lower Paleolithic.

Extant Hominoid family tree
Extant Hominoid family tree

All species except Homo sapiens (modern humans) are extinct. Homo neanderthalensis, traditionally considered the last surviving relative, died out 24,000 years ago while a recent discovery suggests that another species, Homo floresiensis, may have lived as recently as 12,000 years ago.

A minority of zoologists consider that the two species of chimpanzees (usually treated in the genus Pan), and maybe the gorillas (usually treated in the genus Gorilla) should also be included in the genus based on genetic similarities. Most scientists argue that chimpanzees and gorillas have too many anatomical differences between themselves and humans to be part of Homo. Given the large number of morphological similarities exhibited, Homo is closely related to several extinct hominin genera, most notably Kenyanthropus, Paranthropus and Australopithecus. As of 2007, no taxon is universally accepted as the origin of the radiation of Homo.

The word homo is Latin for "man", in the original sense of "human being", or "person". The word "human" itself is from Latin humanus, an adjective cognate to homo, both thought to derive from a Proto-Indo-European word reconstructed as*dhǵhem- "earth"[1]. Cf. Hebrew adam, meaning "human", cognate to adamah, meaning "ground". (And cf. Latin humus, meaning "soil".)

Species

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Comparative table of Homo species
Species Lived when (mya) Lived where Adult height (m) Adult mass (kg) Brain volume (cm³) Fossil record Discovery / publication of name
H. habilis 2.2 – 1.6 Africa 1.0–1.5 30–55 660 many 1960/1964
H. erectus 2 – 0.03 Africa, Eurasia (Java, China, Caucasus) 1.8 60 850 (early) – 1100 (late) many 1891/1892
H. rudolfensis 1.9 Kenya 1 skull 1972/1986
H. georgicus 1.8 Republic of Georgia 600 few 1999/2002
H. ergaster 1.9 – 1.4 E. and S. Africa 1.9 700–850 many 1975
H. antecessor 1.2 – 0.8 Spain 1.75 90 1000 2 sites 1997
H. cepranensis 0.9 – 0.8? Italy 1000 1 skull cap 1994/2003
H. heidelbergensis 0.6 – 0.25 Europe, Africa, China 1.8 60 1100–1400 many 1908
H. neanderthalensis 0.35 – 0.03 Europe, W. Asia 1.6 55–70 (heavily built) 1200–1700 many (1829)/1864
H. rhodesiensis 0.3 – 0.12 Zambia 1300 very few 1921
H. sapiens sapiens 0.25 – present worldwide 1.4–1.9 50-100 1000–1850 still living —/1758
H. sapiens idaltu 0.16 – 0.15 Ethiopia 1450 3 craniums 1997/2003
H. floresiensis 0.10 – 0.012 Indonesia 1.0 25 400 7 individuals 2003/2004

Species status of Homo rudolfensis, H. ergaster, H. georgicus, H. antecessor, H. cepranensis, H. rhodesiensis and H. floresiensis remains under debate. H. heidelbergensis and H. neanderthalensis are closely related to each other and have been considered to be subspecies of H. sapiens, but analysis of mitochondrial DNA from Homo neanderthalensis fossils shows that H. neanderthalensis is more closely related to chimpanzees than H. sapiens is, thereby suggesting that H. sapiens is the more derived of the two.[2]

References

  1. ^ dhghem The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
  2. ^ "Neanderthal DNA illuminates split with humans". NewScientist.com (2006-10-11). Retrieved on 2006-12-21.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to:
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Ape-related articles
Ape study Human and gorilla skeleton
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See also

Wikipedia content modification information:

  • This page was last modified on 7 October 2008, at 16:45.

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