Anatomy
Small canines, thick enamel and a forward-positioned foramen magnum are consistent with—but do not prove—habitual upright posture.
COMPREHENSIVE INTERACTIVE REPORT · Debated
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Possible earliest hominin7–6 million years ago · Chad
Current synthesis
A late Miocene ape known from a distorted cranium, jaws, teeth and limb material. It may lie near the human–chimpanzee divergence, but its precise position is unresolved.
Ecology & food
Wooded and waterside habitats within a mosaic landscape, not a simple open savanna.
Technology
No securely associated technology.
Clothing evidence
No archaeological evidence of clothing. Reconstruction is shown without garments.
Behavior & social evidence
Locomotion and diet are inferred from anatomy and context; social behavior is unknown.
Relationships
Potential early hominin or a closely related ape branch.
Controversies
Distortion of the cranium, limb attribution and how strongly the evidence supports bipedalism.
What reaches forward
Shows why the earliest hominin record cannot be represented as a clean linear sequence.
SOURCE DESK