Hominids: What are, characteristics and evolution

Hominids understand upper primates Catarrinos that have the ability to walk on two feet vertically and belong to the hominidae family. In addition, they are endowed with intelligence and manual ability. Currently, to this category only humans belong (Homo sapiens), but they keep a close relationship with other extinct primates with which they have a great relationship.

Difference between hominids and hominins

The hominid term refers to the hominidae family, while hominins refers to the Hominine subtribu. This last category is three levels below the hominidae family and is more specific.

Hominines can completely walk on two legs and hominids can stand up, but They are not completely biped. Hominids also have opposable and prehensile fingers on their feet, their face has a more prominent snout, body hair distribution is abundant and its brain capacity is not so advanced. Reading these characteristics, it is easy to note that we are describing differences between the great apes and the human.

Hominin classification contains only to the human, while the upper hominid category includes the human and the great apes.

To understand well what type of apes categorize within hominids, then we will review the characteristics of hominids in a more detailed way.

• Bipedism o Ability to walk on two legs: thanks to the fact that the occipital hole where the brain binds to the spinal cord was traveled to the lower middle part of the skull, hominids can rise on two legs and look forward.
• Teeth: It is an important component for taxonomic classification, since hominids are distinguished by having small canines and being worn at the tip.
• Arms: They are shorter compared to other apes.
• Communicative capacity and advanced cognitive faculties: Some even have advanced language forms similar to ours.
• Use of tools: To facilitate activities that complement their advanced skill in the hands.
• Creation of social nuclei.
• Creation of family nuclei: With assigned roles.
• Omnivorous feeding: Discover more about which animals are omnivorous and examples, in this article that we recommend.

The evolutionary history of hominids is linked to that of primates. The first common ancestor was an ancestral tree insectivorous that inhabited 63 million years ago. From it the species evolved following the following chronology:

• The prosimios: 55 million years ago, which includes tupayas, lemuridos and társidos, all of arbing habits.
• The monkeys: 40 million years later, in the Oligocene, the monkeys arrived, divided into monkeys of the new in America and the Old World in Africa. Is the spider monkey in danger of extinction? Discover the answer in this article that we recommend.
• Anthropoid apes and hominids: The latter come from the same common ancestor with the origin of 6 million years ago. Hominins contain several species that are our ancestors. He Australopithecus It was the ancestor of the genre Homo And it was the first bipedo, although it still looked a lot like the great apes. From it evolved the following species of Homo as H. habilis, H. erectus either H. Neanderthalensiseach with new characteristics and more similar to those of modern man.

The history of hominids is quite wide and during these millions of years several species have been extinguished for several reasons, including climatic changes or competition between species. We begin the list of extinct hominids with the hominini tribe of the Homininae subfamily, which are the closest to us.

• Homo Gautegensisalso called Homo habilis.
• Homo Rudolfensis.
• Homo habilis.
• Homo Naledi.
• Homo Georgicus.
• Homo Ergaster.
• Homo erectus.
• Homo Floresiensis.
• Homo Luzonensis.
• Homo antecessor.
• Homo heidelbergensis.
• Homo cepranensis.
• Homo Helmei.
• Homo tsaicanegensis.
• Hominid Donisovans.
• Homo Neanderthalensis.
• Homo rhodesiensis.
• Homo sapiens idaltu.
• Homo indeterminate, also known as the man in the Cave of the Red Deer.
• Australopithecus Africanus.
• Australopithecus Garhi.
• Australopithecus Sediba.
• Australopithecus deyiremeda.
• Ardipithecus Ramidus.
• Ardipithecus Kadabba.
• Kenyanthropus Platyops.
• Praeanthropus bahrelghazali.
• Praeanthropus anamensis.
• Praeanthropus Afarensis.
• Paranthropus aethiopicus.
• Paranthropus robustus.
• Paranthropus Boisei.
• Sahelanthropus tchadensis.
• ORORIN TUGENENSIS.
• Graecopithecus Freybergi.

Under this same family is the Dryopithecini tribe or great apes that lived in Africa and Eurasia.

• Anoiapithecus brevirostris.
• Danuvius Guggenmosi.
• Dryopithecus Wuduensis.
• Dryopithecus Fontani.
• Dryopithecus brancoi.
• Dryopithecus laietanus.
• Dryopithecus Crusafonti.
• Hispanopithecus laietanus.
• Hispanopithecus crusofonti.
• Kenyapithecus Wickeri.
• Morotopithecus bishopi.
• Nakalipithecus nakayamai.
• Ourapithecus Macedoniensis.
• Oreopithecus bambolii.
• Otavipithecus namibiensis.
• Pierolapithecus catalaunicus.
• Rudapithecus Hungaricus.
• Samburupithecus Kiptalami.
• Udabnopithecus Garedziensis.

The homininae family also brings together the Gorillini tribewhere we find Chororapithecus abyssinicus. On the other hand, belonging to the Subfamily Ponginaeknown as Asian hominids are:

• Meganthropus Palaeojavanicus.
• LUFENGPITHECUS LUFENGENSIS.
• LUFENGPITHECUS keiyuanensis.
• Lufengpithecus hudiensis.
• Meganthropus Palaeojavanicus.
• Ankarapithecus meteai.
• Sivapithecus brevirostris.
• Sivapithecus punjabicus.
• Pluple sivapithecus.
• Sivapithecus sivalensis.
• Sivapithecus indicus.
• Gigantopithecus bilaspurensis.
• Gigantopithecus blacki.
• Gigantopithecus giantus.
• KHORATPITHECUS ayeyarwadyensis.
• KHORATPITHECUS PIRIYAI.
• KHORATPITHECUS CHIANGMUANENSIS.
• I put hooijeri.

We share origin with several other living hominids and, it is important to know them, in order to better understand the evolution of ourselves as humans and primates.

Homo sapiens sapiens

It is the modern human being and the only living species of this genus. Our species competed for space when it lived with primitive humans of other species and ended up moving and eliminating them. In spite of this, we carry in our genome genes of primitive humans.

Troglodytes bread

This is the famous chimpanzee, the second the genetically closer hominid 98% kinship. They can use tools to facilitate their diet, and have even learned sign to communicate with humans.

Bread bread

He is known as Bonobo and is the other close relative of the human. It is only 1.3% genetically different from us. They have very interesting and intelligent behaviors. They are very peaceful, they use sexual relations as a social mechanism: from greetings to solving problems between them.

Gorillas

Inside the gorillas we find Gorilla Gorilla, which is the western gorilla that lives in the West of Africa and the Gorilla Beringei, which is the oriental gorilla that lives in the East of Africa. Here you can discover if are the gorillas in danger of extinction?

Orangutans

Finally, we find I put pygmaeus, known as Orangután de Borneo. Has a reddish fur and is lonely behavior. They can also manufacture tools. He I put a capanuliensis, the orangutan of Tapanuli, originally from Indonesia, and the I put abelii, Sumatra’s orangutan is smaller than previous species. Find out why orangutans are in danger of extinction, in this other post of ecology.

Perhaps this article may also be interested and summary about the origin and evolution of the animals of Ecology Verde.

If you want to read more articles similar to Hominids: What are, characteristics and evolutionwe recommend that you enter our biodiversity category.