Archaic humans

Archaic humans is a broad category denoting all species of the genus Homo that are not Homo sapiens (which are known as modern humans). Among the earliest modern human remains are those from Jebel Irhoud in Morocco (about 315 ka), Florisbad in South Africa (259 ka), and Omo-Kibish I (Omo I) in southern Ethiopia (c. 233 or 195 ka). Some examples of archaic humans include H. antecessor (1200–770 ka), H. bodoensis (1200–300 ka), H. heidelbergensis (600–200 ka), Neanderthals (H. neanderthalensis; 430–40 ka), H. rhodesiensis (300–125 ka) and Denisovans (H. denisova; 285–52 ka),

Most archaic humans had a brain size averaging 1,200 to 1,400 cubic centimeters, which overlaps with the range of modern humans. Notable exceptions include Homo naledi and Homo floresiensis, having cranial capacities of 465-610 and 380 cubic centimeters, respectively.

Archaic humans are distinguished from anatomically modern humans by having a thick skull, prominent supraorbital ridges (brow ridges) and the lack of a prominent chin.

Anatomically modern humans appeared around 300,000 years ago in Africa, and 70,000 years ago gradually supplanted the "archaic" human varieties. Non-modern varieties of Homo are certain to have survived until after 30,000 years ago, and perhaps until as recently as 12,000 years ago. According to recent genetic studies, modern humans may have bred with two or more groups of archaic humans, including Neanderthals and Denisovans. Other studies have cast doubt on admixture being the source of the shared genetic markers between archaic and modern humans, pointing to an ancestral origin of the traits which originated 500,000–800,000 years ago. In August 2023, scientists reported the discovery of an unknown ancient human hominin that may have lived 300,000 years ago in China.