What does hominin mean?
A hominin is a primate belonging to the evolutionary lineage that includes humans and the extinct animals most closely related to them. In scientific usage, the category generally includes members of the genus Homo, such as Neanderthals and Homo floresiensis, as well as earlier genera including Australopithecus, though the exact boundaries depend on the classification system. The term is especially important in paleoanthropology, archaeology, and the study of human evolution because it distinguishes the human lineage from other great apes. Fossil hominins are studied through their anatomy, archaeological associations, tools, and environmental context. The word is primarily technical, but it is also used in general discussions of evolution and human origins.
nounA member of the evolutionary lineage of humans and the extinct primates more closely related to humans than to other living apes. The group includes Homo species and several earlier genera such as Australopithecus.
- A member of the lineage comprising humans and extinct primates more closely related to humans than to other living apes.
"The fossil provides evidence of a hominin that walked upright but retained adaptations suited to climbing."
"Researchers identified the remains as those of an early hominin from Africa."
"The museum's exhibition traces the development of hominin tools over several million years."
The plural is used when referring to members of the human lineage collectively or to multiple individual fossil or species members.
"Several early hominins were adapted to life in open woodland environments."
Every human alive belongs to the hominin lineage, but so do extinct relatives such as Neanderthals and Australopithecus.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hominin come from?
The word hominin is derived from the Latin homo, meaning “man” or “human being,” through the combining form homin- and the taxonomic suffix -in. The related English word hominid was formed in the nineteenth century from the same Latin root. The narrower term hominin became established in the late twentieth century as biologists distinguished the human lineage from the broader great-ape grouping.
Related word forms
How hominin is actually used
Hominin is a technical term used in anthropology, archaeology, and evolutionary biology. It normally includes humans and their closest extinct relatives, but its precise scope can vary with the classification system being used.
Easily confused with hominin
A hominin is a member of the human lineage specifically, whereas hominid can be used in a broader sense to include humans and all great apes.
In modern biological taxonomy, hominid commonly refers to the great-ape group, while hominin refers more narrowly to humans and their closest extinct relatives.