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(1) The study of human origins, or beginnings, involves figuring out how and when human beings began to exist. Scientists have many different theories about human origins. But they agree that humans developed over many millions of years from early ancestors that were like apes. The process by which one type of living thing develops into another type is called evolution.

(2) Modern humans evolved in stages from a series of ancestors, including several earlier forms of humans. The bodies of these ancestors changed over time. In general, their brains became larger. The jaws and teeth became smaller. Human ancestors also began walking upright on two feet and using tools. As they did, the shape of their legs, feet, hands, and other body parts changed. Humans did not evolve from apes. Instead, modern humans and apes both developed from the same apelike ancestor.

(3) Modern humans and apes are still closely related. In fact, most scientists consider humans and great apes—chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and (orangutans—to belong to the same scientific family. But there are many important differences between humans and apes. For this reason, scientists have divided the family into smaller groups. Orangutans belong to a group called the Ponginae tribe. Gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos belong to a group called the Gorillini tribe. Humans belong to the Hominini tribe.

(4) Early forms of humans first existed more than 2 million years ago. All species of humans belong to a scientific group within the hominin tribe called Homo. The scientific names of all human species begin with the word Homo, which means “man”. These early humans had larger brains and mostly smaller teeth and jaws than the australopithecines. Their behaviour was probably also more like that of modern humans. For instance, an early human species called Homo habilis used stone tools to butcher animals. Later human species included Homo erectus and Homo heidelbergensis. Scientists believe that these humans used fire to cook food.

(5) The humans called Neanderthals were alive for part of the same time as modern humans. The Neanderthals died out about 28,000 years ago. They were closely related to modern humans. But most scientists think that these humans were not the direct ancestors of modern humans.

(6) Modern humans probably developed about 300,000 years ago. The scientific name of the species is Homo sapiens. Many scientists believe that the first modern humans evolved in Africa and then spread through Asia, Europe and later the Americas. Exactly how modern humans emerged is a question that scientists are still studying.