Homo sapiens: The only living members of our genus, Homo; they are believed to have reached modernity about 200,000 years ago.

Homo erectus: Long-lived species that lived 1.3 million to 1.8 million years ago; thought to be direct ancestor of Homo sapiens

Homo habilis: Known as the Handy Man, they were thought to create primitive stone blades; lived 1.4 million to 2.33 million years ago

Paranthropus bosei: Stout-bodied and with giant molars, these creatures appear more apelike. While they are not thought to be human ancestors, they lived alongside Homo habilis. They did not evolve and died out.

1470: Believed to be a distinctive kind of early human 1.8 to 2 million years ago. A new find bears striking resemblance to an enigmatic cranium that has been hotly debated since 1972.