Timeline
Deep Prehistory
7,000,000 – 300,000 BCE · 13 events
The story of the human family begins here — in the forests and savannahs of Africa, where a series of bipedal apes evolved over millions of years into increasingly large-brained toolmakers. The Oldowan and Acheulean stone-tool traditions mark the earliest evidence of technology, and the first great dispersal of Homo erectus out of Africa brought hominins to Eurasia nearly two million years ago.
Events
- hominin7.0M BCE
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
c. 7 – 6 million years ago
- hominin4.4M BCE
Ardipithecus ramidus
Ardipithecus ramidus
c. 4.4 million years ago
- hominin3.9M BCE
Australopithecus afarensis
Australopithecus afarensis
c. 3.9 – 2.9 million years ago
- hominin3.3M BCE
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus
c. 3.3 – 2.1 million years ago
- hominin2.4M BCE
Homo habilis
Homo habilis
c. 2.4 – 1.4 million years ago
- hominin2.3M BCE
Paranthropus boisei
Paranthropus boisei
c. 2.3 – 1.2 million years ago
- hominin2.0M BCE
Australopithecus sediba
Australopithecus sediba
c. 2.0 – 1.8 million years ago
- hominin1.9M BCE
Homo erectus
Homo erectus
c. 1.9 million – 110,000 years ago
- hominin1.9M BCE
Homo ergaster
Homo ergaster
c. 1.9 – 1.4 million years ago
- migration1.9M BCE
Early Homo Leaves Africa
Deep Prehistory
c. 1.9 – 1.6 million years ago
- hominin1.8M BCE
Paranthropus robustus
Paranthropus robustus
c. 1.8 – 1.2 million years ago
- hominin1.2M BCE
Homo antecessor
Homo antecessor
c. 1.2 million – 800,000 years ago
- hominin700K BCE
Homo heidelbergensis
Homo heidelbergensis
c. 700,000 – 200,000 years ago
Dates are approximate. Ranges reflect current scientific consensus and are subject to revision as new evidence emerges.