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Homo habilis

Homo habilis is a species of extinct hominids that lived between 2.2 and 1.6 Ma in eastern and southern Africa. H. habilis remains were first discovered in 1960, and were named in 1964 by famous paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey. Some evolutionists have claimed it is an extinct species which exhibits intermediate morphology between the genus Australopithecus and the genus Homo. H. habilis is thus often claimed as the earliest member of Homo. It is said to document brain enlargement, the first usage of primitive stone tools, and the origin of a humanlike bipedal gait.

Controversy has marked the history of habilis over its proper classification. While it is generally accepted that there exists a species, habilis, distinct from H. erectus and other australopithecine species, some have felt habilis represents a single species with wide ranges of morphology, and others believe it represent multiple species. Notable paleontologist Ian Tattersall once called it a “wastebasket taxon” due to the “motley” bone assortment attributed to it. The most complete specimens are only two very fragmented skeletons.

Recently, stark controversy has arisen as to whether habilis should be classified in the genus Homo or the genus Australopithecus. Various studies have found that it is more similar to modern African apes, or to australopithecines, than it is to other members of the genus Homo. These observations have caused some to question whether H. habilis is really a species of intermediate morphology between australopithecines to Homo. Consensus may be moving towards the direction of habilis being a modern-ape-like australopithecine which may or may not have had anything to do with the genus Homo.

Web Resources On Homo habilis

Homo habilis: The first human species

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