The hominin lineage, from Australopithecus through Homo erectus to Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa.
Key steps: bipedalism (Sahelanthropus, Australopithecus, about 4 to 7 mya), larger brains and tool use in Homo habilis, fire and migration in Homo erectus, and modern Homo sapiens in Africa about 300,000 years ago. Interbreeding with Neanderthals and Denisovans left DNA in people outside Africa.
Evolution was branching, not a straight line.
The hominin lineage, from Australopithecus through Homo erectus to Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa.
Human Evolution is one of the 53 topics in Evolution. It is rated Intermediate, so it suits learners who already know the core vocabulary. Related topics in this area include Cambrian Explosion, Origin of Life, Convergent Evolution.
The 'Lucy' fossil (3.2 mya) shows upright walking with a small brain.
Work through the Beginner topics in Evolution first, such as Evolution, Natural Selection, Charles Darwin, then return to Human Evolution. Intermediate topics assume the Beginner vocabulary.
The closest topics to Human Evolution are Cambrian Explosion, Origin of Life, Convergent Evolution, Ancient DNA. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Human Evolution. To practise the whole of Evolution, use the Evolution quiz.
Human Evolution: The hominin lineage, from Australopithecus through Homo erectus to Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa. Cambrian Explosion: A rapid diversification of animal body plans about 540 million years ago. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Cambrian Explosion and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Evolution quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
A rapid diversification of animal body plans about 540 million years ago.
🦎 EvolutionHypotheses such as the primordial soup and RNA world explain how self-replicating molecules first arose.
🦎 EvolutionUnrelated lineages evolve similar traits because they face similar selective pressures.
🦎 EvolutionSequencing of DNA from fossils and remains to reconstruct population history, such as Neanderthal admixture.
🦎 Evolution