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Hominids
We are the last ones standing.
The hominid evolution story
We are members of the species Homo sapiens, which means "wise
man," and are the only living members of the family Hominidae.
Mapping our family tree has not been easy. All of our hominid ancestors
are extinct and the fossil evidence is patchy, although it has become
more complete over the last 50 years. The hominid evolution story
begins more than 4 million years ago.
Gone, but not forgotten.
Although our ancestors are gone, fossil remains
reveal many clues about them. The earliest hominids were more like
apes than humans. Compared to today's humans they had small brains,
large teeth, and heavy jaws. The greatest difference between us
and them is the size and shape of our brains.
New
discoveries lead to better understanding
What is wrong with this line-up?
In the past many people believed that
human evolution was a single-file parade, as shown here, with
one type of hominid following another in time. We now know that
the hominid family was more diverse and our evolution was more
complex.
We were not the only ones
Based on the fossil record, the human
evolution story looks more like a race track with several hominid
species (maybe as many as five) living on this planet at the
same time. Modern humans are not the peak of a long climb to
perfection. We are simply the only hominids left standing. |
Figures from a 1973 film
These
hominid figures had a role in the Playboy Enterprises film
The Naked Ape. They represented a museum exhibit on human
evolution. The figures were made by a team of artists, sculptors,
and anthropologists directed by taxidermist Wayne Daugherty.
They were donated to the Museum of Man in 1975 and have been
on display in the Museum since then.
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