Humans, specifically anatomically modern Homo sapiens, have existed on Earth for about 300,000 years according to fossil and DNA evidence
. Earlier members of the genus Homo, from which modern humans evolved, appeared around 2.8 million years ago
. In the context of Earth's 4.5 billion-year history, modern humans have been around for only about 0.007% of that time, highlighting how recent our species is in geological terms
. More broadly, hominins (the group including humans and their closest extinct relatives) emerged about 7 million years ago, and hominids (great apes and their ancestors) date back 11 to 16 million years
. Behaviorally modern humans, exhibiting complex culture and technology, appeared more recently, around 50,000 to 65,000 years ago
. In summary:
- Homo sapiens (modern humans): ~300,000 years ago
- Genus Homo (early human ancestors): ~2.8 million years ago
- Hominins (human lineage): ~7 million years ago
- Hominids (great apes and ancestors): 11–16 million years ago
This timeframe places humans as a very recent phenomenon in Earth's long history
