San Diego Museum of Man - Footsteps Through Time

Timestone 10
2.4 to 1.6 million years ago
Homo habilis/Homo rudolfensis

Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis are early representatives of the genus Homo, the group to which modern humans belong. They evolved in what is now East Africa.

There is some debate about whether fossils identified as Homo habilis are one species or two. Some specimens had small teeth and large brains, while others had large teeth and small brains. More fossils are needed to determine if these features are due to variation in one species or if they are the features of two different species, Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis.

Sculptural replica of fossil skull
Homo rudolfensis
Found in Koobi Fora, East Turkana, Kenya, in Africa, in 1972 by Richard Leakey's team
Age: 1.8 million years

Sculptural replica of fossil skull
Homo habilis
Found in Koobi Fora, East Turkana, Kenya, in Africa, in 1973 by Richard Leakey's team
Age: 1.9 million years

"Handy Man" Reconstruction
Artist: William Munns

The word "habilis" means handy or skillful, and so Homo habilis means "handy man." This species was so named because stone tools have been found near Homo habilis fossils, making this the earliest known stone tool maker. Homo habilis lived in what is now East Africa over 2 million years ago, at the same time as other hominid species.