Sahelanthropus

E689292

Sahelanthropus is an early, extinct hominin genus from central Africa that may represent one of the oldest known species on the human lineage.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fossil taxon
hominin genus
prehistoric primate
browRidge massive continuous supraorbital torus
canineTeeth reduced canines
canineWearPattern apical wear
class Mammalia
commonName Toumaï NERFINISHED
controversy debate over whether it is a hominin or an ape outside the human lineage
cranialCapacityComparedTo similar to modern chimpanzees
dentalMorphologySignificance suggests hominin-like diet and social structure
describedBy Michel Brunet NERFINISHED
describedInYear 2002
discoveredIn Chad NERFINISHED
discoveredInRegion Djurab Desert NERFINISHED
discoveredInYear 2001
discoveredOnContinent Africa NERFINISHED
estimatedBrainVolume about 320 to 380 cubic centimeters
faceMorphology relatively flat face
family Hominidae NERFINISHED
foramenMagnumPosition relatively anterior
fossilRange Late Miocene
geologicalAge Miocene epoch NERFINISHED
holotypeMaterial cranium
holotypeSpecimen TM 266-01-60
implicationOfForamenMagnum possible habitual bipedalism
infraorder Simiiformes NERFINISHED
kingdom Animalia
knownFrom cranial fossils
dental fossils
jaw fragments
order Primates NERFINISHED
paleoenvironment mosaic of woodland and savanna habitats
parvorder Catarrhini NERFINISHED
phylogeneticPosition possible early member of the human lineage
possibly close to the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees
phylum Chordata
significance important for understanding early hominin evolution
informs timing of human–chimpanzee divergence
statusInPaleoanthropology one of the oldest known putative hominins
subfamily Homininae NERFINISHED
suborder Haplorhini NERFINISHED
superfamily Hominoidea NERFINISHED
taxonRank genus
temporalRangeEnd about 6 million years ago
temporalRangeStart about 7 million years ago
tribe Hominini NERFINISHED
typeSpecies Sahelanthropus tchadensis NERFINISHED

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Homininae containsExtinctGenera Sahelanthropus
Hominini includesTaxon Sahelanthropus