A species
Human
Homo sapiens
You are here: one twig on a very large tree.
This is you: one twig on a very large tree. Follow the path above back to the start of life.
You are looking at your own twig on the tree of life. Humans are great apes. Chimpanzees are our closest cousins, then gorillas, then orang-utans. Gibbons are apes on a more distant branch. We are also primates, and we are mammals too. It can feel strange to call yourself an ape, but your hands and eyes show the link to that wider family.
Our bodies are built for walking upright on two legs, the only living apes that move this way as our main way of getting around. We have no tail, grasping hands with thumbs that can press against our fingers, and forward-facing eyes that judge distance. We have sparse hair except for thick hair on our heads, and skin colour shades gradually from deep brown to pale pink-beige.
Our species began in Africa, then spread across the world. People now have permanent homes in villages, farms and cities on every continent except Antarctica. There are now more than 8 billion of us, and we reshape land for homes and food.
The last humans left
We are the only human species still alive. In the past, two or more human species often lived at the same time.
A long childhood
People grow up slowly, with a long childhood and teenage years. On average, they live longer than other apes. Grown-ups pass on culture through tools, art, music, symbols and burial of the dead.
High foreheads and chins
People have a rounded head with a high forehead and small ridges above the eyes. Short jaws and a chin that sticks out set us apart from close ape relatives.