The Human Lineage

Many fossil specimens have been found that show the path of human evolution—or the hominid branch of the tree of life.

Scientists continue to hunt for fossils to provide details and get as close as possible to the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees.

A phylogenetic tree of hominids beginning from the split from chimpanzees. The oldest segment of the hominid line is colored yellow. The second and largest segment is colored teal and is labeled Australopithecus. The most recent and shortest segment is purple and is labeled Homo.
Hominids: The path of human evolution

The Hominid Family

Dr. Tim White