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How old are we humans?

We're not really sure. While many scientists agree that our species has been around for about 30,000 years, some argue that Homo sapiens ("wise man") is at least 100,000 years old! Our extended family is even older, with close relatives going back over 4 million years.


Many ancient relatives have contributed to the unique combination of features that make us human:

Eyes that look forward from our skulls:
Aegyptopithecus zeuxisAegyptopithecus zeuxis
The ability to walk on just two legs:
Australopithecus afarensis Australopithecus afarensis
A stronger, longer canine tooth:
Australopithecus africanusAustralopithecus africanus
Tool-making ability:
Homo habilusHomo habilus
The use of fire:
Homo erectusHomo erectus
Big, big brains:
Homo neaderthalensisHomo neaderthalensis