Biology Now, 2e

Neanderthal Sex ■ 315

Who would that ancestor have been? The

oldest Homo fossil fragments were found in

Ethiopia in 2015 and date between 2.80 and

2.75 million years ago (mya), suggesting that the

earliest members of the genus Homo originated

in Africa 2–3 mya. More complete early Homo

fossils exist from the period 1.9–1.6 mya; these

fossils have been given the species name Homo

habilis. The oldest H. habilis fossils resemble

cm

198

183

168

152

137

122

107

92

Homo

habilis

Homo

sapiens

Homo

erectus

Homo

floresiensis

Paranthropus

boisei

Homo

heidelbergensis

Homo

neanderthalensis

Figure 17.13

Meet the folks

Cartoon representations of seven hominin species depicting their average height in centimeters and their presumed features.

Homo sapiens is represented as a 6-foot-tall male for reference.

Q1: Are you surprised by the interpretations of the hominins in this picture? Why or why not?

Q2: Describe the main differences that distinguish the hominin species.

Q3: From what you’ve learned about these species, do you think these representations are accurate? How can you find

more information about each species to help you answer this question?

those of Australopithecus africanus, yet more

recent H. habilis fossils show a more rounded

skull and a face that isn’t pulled as far forward.

H. habilis fossils therefore provide an excellent

record of the evolutionary shift from ancestral

hominins (in Australopithecus) to more recent

species, such as Homo erectus, the most likely

candidate for a shared common ancestor of Nean-

derthals and modern humans (Figure 17.13).