When did the first humans appear?

Early Homo species appeared about 2-3 million years ago in the Pleistocene. Modern Homo sapiens evolved about 300,000 years ago.

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Pliocene to Pleistocene

5.3 million years ago to 11,700 years ago

The Pliocene and Pleistocene together span the critical interval of human evolution and the ice ages. Early bipedal hominids in the Pliocene gave way to Homo sapiens in the Pleistocene, and the megafauna of the ice ages lived alongside our ancestors.

Fun Facts

✓The genus Homo, including early human species, first appeared during the Pleistocene.
✓Cave paintings from the Pleistocene show that early humans depicted mammoths, horses, and bison.
✓The Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary is defined by the onset of major glaciation about 2.6 million years ago.

Questions About the Pliocene-Pleistocene

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