Hominin.net

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Welcome to Hominin.net, a database of fossils and associated metadata, references, and researchers. You can learn more about the project here, or you can dive right in and check out the map or timeline. But you should at least know what a hominin is...

Definition of Hominin

Because of the genetic closeness of humans to other African great apes (bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas), some scientists have argued for a revision of the current classification system to one that is more inclusive of all evolutionary relationships. Thus, the orangutans, gorillas, chimps, bonobos and humans, are classified under the Family Hominidae.

But since orangutans diverged sometime around 13 million years ago, they've been re-categorized into the sub-family Ponginae. The African apes, including humans, on the other hand, have been placed into a different sub-family Homininae.

Ultimately, the bipedal apes have been assigned a new tribe Hominini or hominin. And all members of the fossil genera, such as Australopithecus, Ardipithecus, Kenyanthropus, Sahelanthropus, Orrorin and Homo, are members of this tribe.