Hominid Collection (#7)

Australopithecus africanus, artwork C013 / 9570
Australopithecus africanus. Artwork of a family of Australopithecus africanus hominins in a forest. A. africanus, which lived between 3 million and 2 million years ago

Australopithecus afarensis, artwork C013 / 9569
Australopithecus afarensis, artwork. This hominin lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago in what is now eastern Africa. It is thought that A

Neandertha burial, artwork C013 / 6557
Neanderthal burial. Artwork of Homo neanderthalensis conducting a burial ceremony. Neanderthals were relatives of humans that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia between about 300, 000 and 24

Homo heidelbergensis hunting C013 / 6560
Artwork of a Homo heidelbergensis tribe killing an elephant. H. heidelbergensis is an extinct hominid that formed a relatively recent part of the human evolutionary tree

Australopithecus africanus jaw bone C013 / 6559
Australopithecus africanus mandible (lower jaw) from an adolescent male (of about 12 years). A. africanus was a bipedal hominid that lived between 3.5 and 2 million years ago

Paranthropus robustus jaw bone C013 / 6558
Paranthropus robustus mandible (lower jaw). Also known as Australopithecus robustus, this extinct hominid lived in Africa during the late Pliocene between 2.6 and 1 million years ago

Homo neanderthalensis craniums C013 / 6554
Homo neanderthalensis craniums. These craniums are from fossils known as Neanderthal 1 (left) and Swanscombe 1 (right). Neanderthal 1 was the first specimen of H

Homo erectus lower jaw C013 / 6551
Cast of a Homo erectus mandible (lower jaw). The fossil this cast was taken from is known as SK 15 Member 2, and was found at Swartkrans, South Africa

Homo erectus cranium C013 / 6553
Cast of a Homo erectus cranium. The fossil this cast was taken from was discovered at Trinil, on the banks of the River Solo, Java, Indonesia

Homo heidelbergensis lower jaw C013 / 6550
Cast of a Homo heidelbergensis mandible (lower jaw). The jaw this cast was made from was found in Mauer, near Heidelberg, Germany, in 1907. It dates to around 500, 000 years ago. H

Homo habilis hunting, artwork C013 / 6548
Homo habilis group using tools to kill an antelope, artwork. H. habilis is thought to have lived approximately 2 to 1.6 million years ago in East Africa

Homo habilis hammerstone C013 / 6547
Homo habilis hammerstone tool discovered at the Olduvia Gorge, Tanzania, dating to between 1.85 to 1.6 million years ago. H

Bornean orangutan, 19th century C013 / 6436
Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). This artwork is Plate 10 from a volume of Le Regne Animal (1817, The Animal Kingdom) by French naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832)

Pongo pygmaeus, Orang utan
This glorious orang utan was shot by naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in the mid-1800s

Skull cups and bone fragments, Goughs Cave
Skull cups identified among human remains from Goughs Cave, Somerset. At around 14, 700 years old, the skull cups are the oldest directly dated examples in the world

Paranthropus robustus cranium (SK 48)
A cast of the cranium belonging to an adult female Paranthropus robustus discovered at Swartkrans, South Africa by Dr. Robert Broom and J.T. Robinson. P. robustus lived around 1.5 million years ago

Skull cup found at Goughs Cave
A skull cup identified among human remains from Goughs Cave, Somerset. At around 14, 700 years old, the skull cups are the oldest directly dated examples in the world

Australopithecus sp. hip bone
The hip bone (Os coxae) of Australopithecus from Sterkfontein, South Africa

Homo habilis cranium & mandible fragment casts
Casts of fragments mandible and cranium fragments of a Homo habilis discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania dating back to between 1.85 million years ago to 1.6 million years ago

Boxgrove excavation site
A view of the archaeological excavation site at Boxgrove, West Sussex, UK. The site yielded a very significant fossil find, a tibia and incisors believe to have belonged to a 500

Australopithecus sp. thigh & hip bone

Hoxnian anters, bones & hand axe from Swanscombe
Part of a deer antler, fragment of elephant bone and flint hand axe all discovered at Swanscombe, Kent, south of the River Thames

Homo heidelbergensis cranium (Petralona 1)
An adult male cranium (cast) discovered at the foot of Katsika Hill, Petralona, south east of Thessaloniki, Greece. The specimen dates back 400, 000 years. It was discovered by J

Homo erectus cranium (OH9)
The cranium (cast) of Homo erectus discovered at Bed II, site LLK at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania by Louis Leakey in 1960. This specimen is the Holotype of Homo leakeyi. This specimen dates back c

The Malay Archipelago
Title page of The Malay Archipelago, The Land of the Orang-Utan and the Bird of Paradise. A Narrative of travel with studies of Man and Nature. By Alfred Russel Wallace, 1874

Homo sapiens cranium (Qafzeh 11)
Lateral view of a cast of the Qafzeh child (Early Modern Homo sapiens) discovered at Djebel kafzeh, Israel by B. Vandermeersch, 1965-1969, dating back to around 100, 000 years

Homo ergaster cranium (KNM - ER 3733)
Homo ergaster cranium from Koobi Fora, Area 104, Kenya. Cast of KNM - ER 3733. side view. Scale in cms. This specimen discovered in 1975 by Bernard Ngeneo dates back to 1.6 million years ago

Paranthropus robustus cranium with perforations
Cast of cranial bones of Paranthropus robustus with two perforations probably made by a leopard. Original skull from Swartkrans, Transvaal, S. Africa

Homo rudolfensis cranium (KNM - ER 1470)
Homo habilis cranium from Koobi Fora, Area 131, Kenya. Cast of KNM - ER 1470 (1st reconstruction). Three-quarter view. Scale in cms

Homo sapiens cranium (UC 101)
Skull UC 101 discovered at the upper cave (Shandingdong), Zhoukoudian, China. This specimen belonging to Modern Homo sapiens dates back to 30, 000 years ago

Archaic Homo sapiens cranium (Laetoli 18)
A front view of a cranium belonging to Archaic Homo sapiens dating back to 150, 000 years ago. This specimen known as Laetoli 18 was discovered within the Ngaloba bed at Laetoli in Tanazania

Casts of Australopithecus boisei jaw bones
Casts of Upper jaw (left) of Australopithecus (Paranthropus) boisei from the Olduvai Gorge; lower jaw (right) of Australopithecus (Paranthropus) boisei from Peninj

The Anthropomorpha of Linnaeus
An illustration by Bontius (1658) of early impressions of the Orangutan. The picture was published in Thomas Huxleys Evidence as to Mans Place in Nature (1883)

Homo erectus cranium (Ngandong 12)
The cranium (cast) of a young adult male discovered at Ngandong on the Solo River terrace near Randublatung, Java. It was excavated by C. ter Haar and team in 1931-33. This specimen dates back c

Homo erectus, Java man
A model of Homo erectus, known as Java man, based on fossil evidence found in archaeological sites along the Solo River, Indonesia. The fossils date back to around 500, 000 to 800, 000 years ago

Homo erectus, Peking man
A model head of Homo erectus known as Peking man, based upon evidence discovered at Zhoukoudian Cave (Locality 1), China dating back 500, 000 years. This model was created by Maurice Wilson

Pongo pygmaeus, orangutan and Gorilla gorilla, western goril

Bronze sculpture of Chimpanzee head
Bronze sulpture of Chimpanzee head in the Primate gallery at the Natural History Museum, London

Pongo pygmaeus, bornean orangutan
A specimen of Pongo pygmaeus, bornean orangutan

Homo neanderthalensis, Neandertal Man skeleton
Life size model of a male Neandertal (Homo neanderthalensis) skeleton. This was created using a modified modern human skeleton and replicas of Neandertal fossil bones

Homo neanderthalensis, Neanderthal Man skeleton
Life size model of a male Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) skeleton. This was created using a modified modern human skeleton and replicas of Neanderthal fossil bones

Homo erectus, Peking man cranium (reconstruction)
Reconstruction of a female Homo erectus cranium based upon the remains from many individuals discovered at Zhoukoudian Cave (Locality 1), China dating back 500, 000 years

Pongo pygmaeus, orang-outang
The muscles of the Pongo pygmaeus from Orang-Outang sive Homo Sylvestris: or, The Anatomy of a Pygmie Compared with That of a Monkey, an Ape, and a Man by Edward Tyson, 1699

A Tropical Bathing-Place
Plate 10 taken from The Life and Habits of Wild Animals, illustrated by designs by Joseph Wolf, London 1874

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Hominid: Unraveling the Tapestry of Human Evolution" Delving into the depths of our ancestral past, we encounter the fascinating world of hominids. These enigmatic creatures have left behind a trail of clues that offer glimpses into our own origins and evolution. One such clue is the sensory homunculus, a visual representation mapping out how different areas of our brain correspond to various parts of our body. This intricate map reveals just how interconnected and complex our sensory experiences are as hominids. Another intriguing piece in this puzzle lies within the hominid crania, ancient skulls that provide valuable insights into their physical characteristics and evolutionary progression. Among these remarkable specimens is Australopithecus afarensis (AL 288-1), affectionately known as Lucy, whose discovery shed light on early bipedalism. The famous Trail of Laetoli footprints further confirms this bipedal nature, capturing a moment frozen in time where an Australopithecus walked across volcanic ash millions of years ago. These imprints serve as tangible evidence showcasing one small step towards human-like locomotion. Examining the motor homunculus adds another layer to understanding human evolution. This depiction illustrates how different regions in our brain control specific movements throughout our bodies - a testament to the intricate coordination required for survival and adaptation. Tracing back through stages in human evolution brings us face-to-face with Australopithecus afarensis once again. Through meticulous artwork depicting these ancient beings, we can visualize their appearance and way of life during their time on Earth. Exploring further along this journey uncovers Homo neanderthalensis at Swanscombe in the UK - an opportunity to witness these close relatives engaging in daily activities firsthand through archaeological findings. Their existence serves as a reminder that multiple branches existed simultaneously during certain periods in history.