Homo
In brief
Homo is a genus, while Homo sapiens is the species to which all living humans belong. The genus also includes fossil representatives. For example, early African fossils assigned to Homo erectus have relatively long legs and short arms, proportions associated with movement on the ground. Researchers continue to discuss species boundaries and the interpretation of particular finds. [2] [3]
Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
Where to check this statement
- biology55-S13
- Overview: living humans belong to one species; no particular direct ancestor asserted.
- biology55-S14
- Overview and open questions: fossil body proportions and disputed species boundaries; dates, full range and direct descent chains excluded.
Photographs and illustrations
Save, investigate and check this version
Editorial draft · human review pending
Ask about this materialOn this page
Homo: living humans and fossil relatives
Reading this page
A fossil specimen, an appearance reconstruction and an ancestry hypothesis are different kinds of information. Including species in one genus does not establish a direct sequence of descent. A group page retains the source of each relationship rather than automatically constructing such a sequence.
Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
Try it
Choose an available species and check which sections describe a specimen and which present a broader synthesis. Open the original source of one statement and save it with a note.
Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
This group in the catalogue
The installed Catalogue of Life places Homo at the rank of genus. Accepted record col:636X2 belongs to COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14. The authored scientific name is retained alongside the shorter name; navigation uses the record identifier.
[1]Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
Where to check this statement
- classification55-636X2
- Installed classification: exact record, ancestor path and direct-child count. This is not a new phylogeny or a biological review.
The immediate parent here is Homininae Gray, 1825 (subfamily). Preserve intermediate groups in the full path: a short list of principal ranks can omit them.
[1]Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
Where to check this statement
- classification55-636X2
- Installed classification: exact record, ancestor path and direct-child count. This is not a new phylogeny or a biological review.
This index version contains 1 direct child records. This counts the next level of the tree, not all species, organisms, observations or studied genomes in the group.
[1]Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
Where to check this statement
- classification55-636X2
- Installed classification: exact record, ancestor path and direct-child count. This is not a new phylogeny or a biological review.
From group to species
Prepared examples in this branch are Homo sapiens. Membership was checked in the same CoL release. Opening an example leads to its separate species record. Its geography, traits and sequences do not become properties of every member of the group.
[1]Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
Where to check this statement
- classification55-636X2
- Installed classification: exact record, ancestor path and direct-child count. This is not a new phylogeny or a biological review.
Next question
Choose an example and frame a question at species or specimen level. On the map, preserve the exact filter and observation source; in molecular searches, preserve assembly, gene and sequence version. If a dataset is unavailable, leave the question open. A missing service response does not establish biological absence.
Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
Continue exploring
Classification record and its scope
Inspect structured data
- col id
- 636X2
- scientific name
- Homo Linnaeus, 1758
- rank
- genus
- parent id
- JPH
- child count
- 1
- source release
- COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14
- source sha256
- 891457d62af389842924ef1de8bd6fbbdf9f6b03428ef5dd487bed4d04c0ace0
- classification semantics
- provider_source_classification_only
- phylogeny
- False
- lineage
- col id
- CS5HF
- scientific name
- Eukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- rank
- domain
- status
- accepted
- col id
- N
- scientific name
- Animalia
- rank
- kingdom
- status
- accepted
- col id
- CH2
- scientific name
- Chordata
- rank
- phylum
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 8V4V3
- scientific name
- Vertebrata
- rank
- subphylum
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 8V4V5
- scientific name
- Gnathostomata
- rank
- infraphylum
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 8VVWB
- scientific name
- Osteichthyes
- rank
- parvphylum
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 9CK8W
- scientific name
- Tetrapoda
- rank
- megaclass
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 6224G
- scientific name
- Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- rank
- class
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 6226C
- scientific name
- Theria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- rank
- subclass
- status
- accepted
- col id
- LG
- scientific name
- Eutheria Gill, 1872
- rank
- infraclass
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 3W7
- scientific name
- Primates Linnaeus, 1758
- rank
- order
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 4DT
- scientific name
- Haplorrhini Pocock, 1918
- rank
- suborder
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 4PM
- scientific name
- Simiiformes Haeckel, 1866
- rank
- infraorder
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 58L
- scientific name
- Hominoidea Gray, 1825
- rank
- superfamily
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 6256T
- scientific name
- Hominidae Gray, 1825
- rank
- family
- status
- accepted
- col id
- JPH
- scientific name
- Homininae Gray, 1825
- rank
- subfamily
- status
- accepted
- col id
- 636X2
- scientific name
- Homo Linnaeus, 1758
- rank
- genus
- status
- accepted
Evidence for this statement
Source annotation
Where to check this statement
- classification55-636X2
- Installed classification: exact record, ancestor path and direct-child count. This is not a new phylogeny or a biological review.
Continue exploring
Sources and versions
Editorial draft · human review pending
- Homo · Catalogue of Life
2026-09-19T12:02:54.209836+00:00 · Terms of use on source site
Provenance and original
- Source version
- COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14
- Original SHA-256
- 891457d62af389842924ef1de8bd6fbbdf9f6b03428ef5dd487bed4d04c0ace0
- Source reading scope
- Installed classification: exact record, ancestor path and direct-child count. This is not a new phylogeny or a biological review.
- Location in the original source
- Installed classification: exact record, ancestor path and direct-child count. This is not a new phylogeny or a biological review.
- Smithsonian — Homo sapiens
2026-09-19 · Terms of use on source site
Provenance and original
- Source version
- Official page inspected 2026-09-19; no immutable release asserted
- Source reading scope
- Overview: living humans belong to one species; no particular direct ancestor asserted.
- Location in the original source
- Overview: living humans belong to one species; no particular direct ancestor asserted.
- Smithsonian — Homo erectus
2026-09-19 · Terms of use on source site
Provenance and original
- Source version
- Official page inspected 2026-09-19; no immutable release asserted
- Source reading scope
- Overview and open questions: fossil body proportions and disputed species boundaries; dates, full range and direct descent chains excluded.
- Location in the original source
- Overview and open questions: fossil body proportions and disputed species boundaries; dates, full range and direct descent chains excluded.
Inspect structured data
- Content version
- 2cdacc55065b9e3faaec628315f5cadaa75070a527e9a411506055049967ba8e
- Source version
- COL26.7@891457d62af389842924ef1de8bd6fbbdf9f6b03428ef5dd487bed4d04c0ace0
- Updated
- 2026-10-01