Paleoanthropology Collection

Stages in human evolution
Human evolution. Illustration showing stages in the evolution of humans. At left, proconsul (23-15 million years ago) is depicted hypothetically as an African ape with both primitive

Trail of Laetoli footprints
Trail of hominid footprints fossilized in volcanic ash. This 70 metre trail was found by Mary Leakeys expedition at Laetoli, Tanzania in 1978

Female Australopithecus africanus, artists impression. A. Africanus was a bipedal hominid that lived between 3.5 and 2 million years ago

Primate skulls. Coloured x-rays of the skulls of a gorilla (Gorilla gorilla, left), chimpanzee (Pan trogoldytes, centre) and human (Homo sapien, left)

Scimitar cat attacking a hominid, artists impression. The scimitar cat (Homotherium sp.) was a member of the sabre-toothed cat family (Machairodontinae) which lived throughout Africa

Artwork of the stages in human evolution
Human evolution. Illustration showing stages in the evolution of humans. At left, proconsul (23-15 million years ago) is depicted hypothetically as an African ape with both primitive

Footprints and skeleton of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis). The fossilised bones of the A. afarensis specimen known as Lucy are superimposed over footprints made by the same species. A

Homo heidelbergensis. Artists impression of two male H. heidelbergensis hominids which lived between 600, 000 and 250, 000 years ago in the Pleistocene era

Homo heidelbergensis skull and face of a male, artists impression. H. heidelbergensis lived between 600, 000 and 250, 000 years ago in the Pleistocene era

Model of Lucy, a young female Australopithecus afarensis hominid. The model was created from a cast of Lucys bones, and exhibited at the Kenya National Museum, Nairobi, Kenya

Female Homo habilis. Artists impression of a female Homo habilis holding her young and plucking fruit from a tree. H. habilis was an ancestor of modern humans that lived between around 2.1

Australopithecus boisei. Artists impression of the skull and head of an Australopithecus boisei, a hominid that lived in Africa between about 2.3 to 1.3 million years ago

Red Lady of Paviland femur C016 / 5028
Red Lady of Paviland femur. This fossil femur, stained red with ochre, is part of a human fossil skeleton (Homo sapiens) known as the Red Lady of Paviland (Paviland 1)

Homo erectus skull. Artwork, from 1931, showing a reconstruction of the skull of Java Man, based on the fossil skull fragments (dark grey) discovered by Dubois in Java in 1891

Primate brain evolution. Conceptual computer artwork of a brain (centre) with a monkey head (left) and a human head (right), representing the evolution of primate brains

Male and female Homo habilis, artists impression. H. habilis was an ancestor of modern humans that lived between around 2.1 and 1.6 million years ago

Reproduction of the Jaws of Banyoles, jaw of a pre-neanderthal found in 1887 by Pere Alsius in a quarry of the Pla de la Formiga (Porqueras)

Homo heidelbergensis skull (Cranium 5) C015 / 6921
Homo heidelbergensis skull (Cranium 5). Excavated in 1992 from the Sima de los Huesos pit in the Atapuerca foothills in Spain, this fossil skull dates from around 400, 000 years ago

Homo ergaster. Model of a male Homo ergaster. H. ergaster was a hominid that emerged about 1.9 million years ago in Africa. It is considered to be an ancestor of later Homo populations. H

Australopithecus afarensis. Model of a male Australopithecus afarensis hominid. This hominid lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. Fossil specimens have only be found in eastern Africa

Homo ergaster females and young, artists impression. The hominid H. ergaster is traditionally considered an early type of H. erectus by scientists

Modern human and Homo floresiensis
Modern human and Homo floriensis. Illustration comparing a modern human female (Homo sapiens sapiens) with a female Homo floriensis

Mammoth bone hut excavation, Ukraine
Mammoth bone hut being excavated by archaeologists near the village of Mezhyrich, Ukraine. The mammoth bones are seen around the archeologists and have been numbered

Stages in female human evolution
Human evolution. Artwork of female apes and humans showing some of the stages in human evolution. At left, Proconsul sp. (23-17 million years ago)

Prehistoric skeletons. These two embracing neolithic skeletons are called the Valdaro Lovers. They are believed to be a man and woman in their early twenties who died about 5000-6000 years ago

Neolithic flint arrowheads C014 / 1033
Neolithic flint arrowheads. Stone-age flint arrowheads dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. These specimens were found in Mauritania, West Africa

Neolithic flint arrowhead C014 / 1026
Neolithic flint arrowhead. Stone-age flint arrowhead dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. This specimen was found in Mauritania, West Africa

Bronze Age tools and utensils, artwork C016 / 8289
Bronze Age tools and utensils. Artwork of humans producing tools and utensils in Bronze Age Europe. Shown here is the making of earthenware pottery, the milling of cereal grains

Australopithecus africanus pelvis, STS-14 C015 / 6919
Australopithecus africanus pelvis (STS-14). This fossil specimen was discovered in 1947, in Sterkfontein, South Africa. The entire specimen consists of the pelvis, part of the vertebral column

Australopithecus africanus skull (STS-5) C015 / 6916
Australopithecus africanus skull. This is specimen STS-5, also known as Mrs Ples. It dates from around 2 million years ago and was discovered in Sterkfontein, South Africa, in 1947

Ivory and bone tools, Upper Palaeolithic C016 / 5026
Ivory and bone tools, Upper Palaeolithic. These items date from between 18, 000 and 30, 000 years ago. From upper left to lower right they are

Cro-Magnon man reconstructed head C013 / 6464
Reconstruction of the head of Cro-Magnon man. Cro-Magnon is the earliest European example of Homo sapiens. Cro-Magnons lived between about 40, 000 and 10, 000 years ago, in the Upper Paleolithic

Homo floresiensis. Artists impression of the skull, head and face of Homo floresiensis. The remains of this hominid were found in 2003 at the Liang Bua Cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia

Head of a model of a neanderthal man
Neanderthal man. Head of a model of a neanderthal man (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis). Neanderthals were early humans that lived in Europe and the Middle East about 120-30, 000 years ago

Neanderthal skull, muscles and head
Neanderthal heads (Homo neanderthalensis), artwork. The skull is at top, the facial musculature at centre and the head at bottom. Neanderthals had several physical differences to modern humans

Australopithecus africanus skeleton, artists impression. A. Africanus was a bipedal hominid that lived between 3.5 and 2 million years ago

Mummified heads
Mummified head and a skull surrounded by materials. Mummies such as this are found in several sites in the arid highlands of southern Peru, preserved by the extreme dryness

Neanderthal woman and man
Neanderthal man (Homo neanderthalensis) talking to a sitting elderly woman, artwork. Neanderthals were relatives of humans that inhabited Europe and western Asia between around 230, 000 and 29

Modern human. Model of an early human (Homo sapiens) or Cro-Magnon man. Cro-Magnon is the earliest European example of Homo sapiens

Neanderthal couple (Homo neanderthalensis), artwork. Neanderthals were relatives of humans that inhabited Europe and western Asia between around 230, 000 and 29, 000 years ago

Model of a neanderthal man in modern clothing
Neanderthal man. Model of a neanderthal man (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) dressed in modern clothing. Neanderthals were early humans that lived in Europe and the Middle East about 120- 30

Human and chimpanzee skull. Coloured x-rays of the skulls of a human (homo sapien) and chimpanzee (Pans troglodytes). The cranium of the chimpanzee is considerably smaller than that of the human

Cro-Magnon skull
Skull of Cro-Magnon man, side view. The term Cro- Magnon is used in a general sense to refer to the earliest European examples of Homo sapiens, or modern man, living in Europe between about 40

Model of a neanderthal woman holding a baby
Neanderthal woman. Model of a neanderthal woman (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) holding a baby wrapped in animal skins. Neanderthals were early humans that lived in Europe

Human evolution, artwork
Human evolution. Artwork showing a snapshot of the evolution of humans from earlier forms of life. At far left is the shrew-like mammal, Purgatorius (65 million years ago, mya)

Java Man reconstruction. Reconstruction of the head of Java Man (Pithecanthropus erectus), later renamed Homo erectus. Reconstructions of Java Man are based on hominid fossil remains

Homo ergaster hunting group, artists impression. These hominids are shown attacking a species of saber-toothed cat (Machairdontinae) using wooden branches and a spear. H

Stone tool, Sima de los Huesos. This hand axe, called Excalibur, is the only stone tool to be found at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

Paleoanthropology, the captivating study of human origins and evolution, unveils a mesmerizing journey through time. Step into the past as we explore the fascinating world of our ancestors. The Trail of Laetoli footprints takes us back 6 million years to Tanzania, where preserved tracks offer an intimate glimpse into early hominid locomotion. These imprints tell stories of bipedalism's emergence, a crucial milestone in our evolutionary history. From Australopithecus africanus to Homo sapiens, stages in human evolution unfold like chapters in an ancient book. A female Australopithecus africanus stands tall amidst her surroundings, representing one branch on humanity's intricate family tree. Primate skulls serve as windows into the past; their structures reveal clues about our shared ancestry with other primates. They remind us that we are part of a larger tapestry connecting all life forms on Earth. In a dramatic scene frozen in time, a scimitar cat attacks a hominid - reminding us that survival was not always guaranteed for our early relatives. This encounter highlights the challenges faced by these resilient beings during their struggle for existence. Artwork depicting stages in human evolution offers visual narratives that transport us across millennia. From primitive ape-like creatures to modern humans wielding tools and fire, this artistic representation captures key milestones along our evolutionary path. Footprints and skeleton fragments belonging to Lucy provide invaluable insights into Australopithecus afarensis' way of life over three million years ago. Her remains bridge gaps between species and deepen our understanding of early hominin behavior. Homo heidelbergensis emerges as another pivotal figure within paleoanthropology's vast landscape. A model showcasing Lucy's distant relative invites contemplation about how this species adapted and thrived throughout Europe and Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago. Australopithecus boisei captivates with its robust features, hinting at a specialized diet and powerful chewing capabilities.