Earliest Ancient Human: Earlier hominins back to the human-chimp split were more “humanoid.” They had more human-like features, but the term “human” is reserved for species in the genus Homo. Homo habilis is the earliest known ancient human, and the earliest known Homo species. Homo habilis is the current line-marker between earlier humanoid ancestors and ancient humans. The line is debated, but for now, this is where the ancient human story begins.

First Earth Explorer: Known as the “handy man,” Homo habilis is associated with some of the earliest stone tools, evidence of a new level of cognitive ability: foresight, planning, and the ability to manipulate the environment in more complex ways. Control of fire is clearly exhibited later in Homo erectus, but late Homo habilis may have lived near the beginning of that story. And if Homo floresiensis preserves a descendant branch from early Homo, then the habilis-grade mind may have echoed far longer and farther than we once imagined. Human evolution branched into many known species, including Homo erectus, Neanderthals, Denisovans, Homo floresiensis, and eventually us. Only Homo sapiens survives today.

You can think of Homo habilis as a super smart chimp, perhaps something like a 55% smarter one.