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Homo habilis
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An illustration of Homo habilis, an early human ancestor, shown walking upright with a hairy body and ape-like features. A scale beside the figure indicates height in inches and centimeters. lower jaw of Homo habilis A timeline chart displays major fossil discoveries linked to Homo habilis from 1960 to 2000, with illustrations and brief descriptions of each find, including partial skeletons, skulls, jaws, and leg bones, along with locations, estimated ages, and discoverers. OH 24 “Twiggy” fossil replica of KNM-ER 1470 KNM-ER 1813 fossil oldest human mandible Diagram showing the increase in hominid cranial capacity over time with illustrations of skulls from various species, including Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo sapiens, arranged along a timeline and brain volume scale for comparison. A timeline chart showing the evolution of hominins over the past 4 million years, with colored bars representing different Australopithecus and Homo species diverging over time, ending with Homo sapiens at present. Illustration showing side-by-side reconstructions of five hominins in the human lineage: Australopithecus afarensis, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo sapiens, with each figure labeled and depicted in a walking pose to highlight evolutionary changes in posture and body structure. A scale bar at the top right indicates relative height.
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Homo habilis summary
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Homo habilis: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Other Contributors

  • Rasoul Shiri

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: Social Sciences LibreTexts - Homo Habilis. Oct 28, 2026
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - An identity for the inscrutable Homo habilis. Feb 26, 2026
Added Quick Facts box. Nov 14, 2025
Add new Web site: Milne Library - The History of Our Tribe: Hominini - Homo habilis. Sep 27, 2025
Noted that most scientists have assigned the fossil specimen KNM-ER 1470, which was formerly assigned to H. habilis, to H. rudolfensis. Aug 14, 2025
Add new Web site: Academia - Brief communication: Evidence bearing on the status of Homo habilis at Olduvai Gorge (PDF). Jul 11, 2025
Add new Web site: Nature Communications - Dental morphology in Homo habilis and its implications for the evolution of early Homo. Nov 29, 2023
Add new Web site: Natural History Museum - Homo habilis, an early maker of stone tools. Oct 18, 2023
Add new Web site: Open Library Publishing Platform - Homo habilis. Aug 22, 2023
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - Homo Habilis. May 05, 2023
Add new Web site: Social Sciences LibreTexts - Homo Habilis. Jan 10, 2023
Corrected display issue. Nov 12, 2020
Added illustrations depicting the timeline of hominin evolution, braincase size, and various fossil finds associated with Homo habilis. Dec 08, 2017
Add new Web site: Bradshaw Foundation - Homo Habilis. Nov 08, 2017
Add new Web site: LiveScience - Jaws, Not Brains, Define Early Human Species. Nov 08, 2017
Emergence date of Homo habilis changed from 2.0 million years ago to 2.4 million years ago. Aug 15, 2015
Noted the coincidence in timing and location of the remains of Kenyanthropus and the presence of 3.3-million-year-old tools near Lake Turkana in Kenya. Aug 11, 2015
Photo of the Ledi-Geraru jawbone added. Aug 11, 2015
Noted that the estimated origin time of Homo was dated to 2.8 million years ago and raised the possibility that the fossil specimen found at Ledi-Geraru in 2013 might belong to Homo habilis. Mar 05, 2015
Add new Web site: Australian Museum - Homo Habilis. May 06, 2014
Text describing Australopithecus sediba and its possible role as the direct ancestor to Homo erectus added. Feb 06, 2012
Add new Web site: ThinkQuest - Homo Habilis. Jul 15, 2011
Add new Web site: Michigan State University - Homo Habilis. Jul 15, 2011
Article revised. Jan 19, 2006
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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