The human evolution timeline at right shows when each of the various different hominids existed. It also provides links to detailed articles on each, which can be accessed for any given hominid by clicking on its name in the timeline (for a listing of brief information about each hominid see the human evolution chart). This timeline covers the last seven million years of human evolution. The time spans shown represent currently available data and will be updated on an ongoing basis as new facts come to light.
The visual format of the timeline allows easy comparison of the lengths of time that different hominids existed, and makes it clear which different types overlapped in time. For example, in the timeline it's immediately obvious that Homo erectus (see figure left) existed longer than any other hominid and coexisted during that time with no less than nine other hominid types. The various genera are indicated by color (green indicates Homo, purple, Orrorin, orange, Australopithecus, etc.).
The time spans shown in this human evolution timeline are based strictly on paleontological data, the most reliable source of information. Together, these hominids represent all of the fossil evidence for human evolution.
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To read about any given hominid, click on its name in the timeline.
Or, if you prefer, click on its name in one of these tables:
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