Orrorin

E708118

Orrorin is an early, primitive hominin species from the Miocene epoch that provides important evidence about the origins of bipedalism in human evolution.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Orrorin tugenensis 0

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fossil taxon
hominin species
prehistoric mammal
alsoKnownAs Millennium Man NERFINISHED
anatomicalEvidence curved finger bones suggest climbing ability
femur morphology suggests bipedal locomotion
approximateAgeInMillionsOfYears 6
binomialAuthority Senut et al. 2001
class Mammalia
comparedWith Ardipithecus ramidus NERFINISHED
Sahelanthropus tchadensis NERFINISHED
continent Africa
countryOfDiscovery Kenya NERFINISHED
diet likely frugivorous
discoveredAt Tugen Hills NERFINISHED
discoveredIn 2000
discoverer Brigitte Senut NERFINISHED
Martin Pickford NERFINISHED
estimatedBodySize similar to a modern chimpanzee
etymology genus name derived from local Tugen language
family Hominidae NERFINISHED
fossilRange about 6.1–5.7 million years ago
fossilStatus extinct
genus Orrorin NERFINISHED
geologicalContext Tugen Hills, Baringo Basin NERFINISHED
holotypeStatus based on multiple partial specimens
kingdom Animalia
knownFrom dental remains
femoral remains
fragmentary fossils
mandibular fragments
locomotion arboreal climbing
partially bipedal
moreSpecificTime Late Miocene
order Primates
phylum Chordata
region East Africa
relevanceToHumanEvolution informs debates on the origin of the human lineage
used to study early hominin locomotor adaptations
researchTopic origin of habitual bipedalism
phylogenetic position within Hominini
significance one of the oldest known hominin species
provides evidence about early bipedalism
subfamily Homininae NERFINISHED
taxonRank species
timePeriod Miocene epoch NERFINISHED

Referenced by (1)

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

Hominini includesTaxon Orrorin