What is the Evolutionary History of Humans?
The evolutionary history of humanity begins at least 6-7 million years ago with the fossil ape Sahelanthropus tchadensis, which displays both human and ape-like features. Sahelanthropus may be the common ancestor of chimpanzees, gorillas, and/or humans, an early ancestor of humans, an early ancestor of chimps, an early ancestor of humans, or a completely different lineage to all of the above. In any case, it pushed back the likely date of chimp/human divergence by several million years, which based on early molecular studies was though to be 3-5 million years ago. Such a late divergence is no longer accepted among the anthropological community. Shortly after 6-7 million years ago, or whenever the evolutionary history of human ancestors split from chimps, the fossil record continues with Orrorin tugenensis (6.1-5.8 mya), the earliest human ancestor with evidence of bipedal locomotion; Ardipithecus (5.5-4.4 mya), another upright-walking species that nonetheless had a brain and body simil
