Homininae
Subfamily of hominids including humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas.
Homininae (hominines) is a subfamily of the family Hominidae (hominids), encompassing humans and also called 'African hominids' or 'African apes.' It includes two tribes with extant species—Hominini (humans, chimpanzees, bonobos) and Gorillini (gorillas)—as well as extinct species. The subfamily comprises all hominids that arose after the subfamily Ponginae (orangutans) split from the line of the great apes. Its age is estimated at some 14 to 12.5 million years, with separation into Gorillini and Hominini occurring about 8 to 10 million years ago during the late Miocene.
- field
- Paleoanthropology, Primatology
- known_for
- Encompassing humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas as African hominids
- subfamily_age
- ~14 to 12.5 million years
- tribes
- Gorillini, Hominini (with subtribes Panina and Hominina), and extinct Dryopithecini
- extant_genera
- Homo (one extant species), Pan (two species), Gorilla (two species)
Lore & Background
Later discoveries led to revised classifications, uniting great apes with humans in subfamily Homininae. The subfamily can be further subdivided into three branches: tribe Gorillini (gorillas), tribe Hominini with subtribes Panina (chimpanzees/bonobos) and Hominina (humans and extinct relatives), and the extinct tribe Dryopithecini.
Reader's Guide
Homininae is significant as the subfamily that includes all hominids after the split from orangutans, encompassing the evolutionary lineages leading to gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans. The evolution of bipedalism is evidenced by Ardipithecus ramidus (4.4 million years old) and Orrorin tugenensis (6 million years old), with Australopithecus and early Paranthropus possibly bipedal. The subfamily's study provides crucial insights into human origins and the relationships among African apes.
Did You Know?
- The subfamily Homininae is also called 'African hominids' or 'African apes.'
- There is evidence of interbreeding between Gorillas and the Pan–Homo ancestors until right up to the Pan–Homo split.
More in Primates 1-24
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