Here are a few examples of extinct human species that have been documented through archeological discoveries:
Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis):
- Closely related to modern humans.
- Inhabited various regions of Eurasia during the Pleistocene era.
- Extinct around 40,000 years ago.
Denisovans (Homo denisova)
- Discovered through DNA analysis from remains found in the Denisova Cave in Siberia.
- Coexisted with Neanderthals and modern humans in Asia.
- Limited information available due to scarce fossil evidence.
Homo erectus:
- An early hominin characterized by a prominent brow ridge.
- Found in various parts of Africa and Asia.
- Lived approximately 1.8 million to 70,000 years ago.
Homo habilis:
- One of the earliest members of the Homo genus.
- Discovered in East Africa.
- Believed to have used simple stone tools.
- Existed around 2.4 million to 1.4 million years ago.
Australopithecus:
- Group of extinct hominins that share some characteristics with modern humans.
- Includes species like Australopithecus afarensis ("Lucy") and Australopithecus sediba.
- Lived in Africa between 4 million and 2 million years ago.
These extinct human species provide insights into our evolutionary history and the diverse hominin species that once inhabited the Earth.