Homo sapiens

Homo sapiens is the living species of humans, distinguished by habitual bipedalism, large brains, and complex language and culture. It originated in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago.

Human evolution: The evolutionary history of humans and their ancestors. Homo sapiens is the living endpoint of a branching evolutionary history.
Jebel Irhoud: A Moroccan archaeological site with Homo sapiens fossils dated to about 300,000 years ago. Its fossils are among the oldest widely accepted evidence of the species.
Bipedalism: Locomotion using two legs as the primary means of movement. Habitual upright walking shapes the human skeleton and frees the hands for other tasks.
Paleoanthropology: The study of human evolution through fossils, archaeology, and related evidence. Researchers use its methods to reconstruct the emergence of Homo sapiens.
Human dispersal: The spread of human populations from their places of origin into new regions. Dispersal made Homo sapiens the only living human species across the globe.
Hominini: The primate tribe that includes humans and their closest extinct relatives after divergence from chimpanzees. This broader group places Homo sapiens among its closest evolutionary kin.
Omo remains: Early Homo sapiens fossils discovered near Ethiopia's Omo River. They document early humans in eastern Africa, though their precise age remains debated.
Encephalization: The evolutionary increase in brain size relative to body size. Large brains support complex cognition but require long development and substantial energy.
Archaeogenetics: The study of ancient populations using genetic material from archaeological remains. Ancient DNA traces human migrations and interbreeding that fossils alone cannot resolve.
Megafauna extinction: The disappearance of many large animal species, especially during the late Pleistocene. Human expansion is one proposed contributor to large-animal losses in some regions.

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