Sahelanthropus

This article is about the hominid species. For the fictitious weapon featured in the 2015 video game Metal Gear Solid V, see Metal Gear (weapon) § Sahelanthropus.

Sahelanthropus tchadensis
"Toumaï"
Temporal range: Messinian, 7–6 Ma
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A ubiquitously cracked ape skull in three-quarters view, with the right side jutting out and the left side sloping in due to major warping
Cast of the skull of Toumaï
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Hominidae
Genus: †Sahelanthropus
Brunet et al., 2002[1]
Species:
†S. tchadensis
Binomial name
†Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Brunet et al., 2002[1]

Sahelanthropus is an extinct genus of hominid dated to about 7 million years ago during the Late Miocene. The type species, Sahelanthropus tchadensis, was first announced in 2002, based mainly on a partial cranium, nicknamed Toumaï, discovered in northern Chad.

The definitive phylogenetic position of Sahelanthropus within hominids is uncertain. It was initially described as a possible hominin ancestral to both humans and chimpanzees, but subsequent interpretations suggest that it could be an early member of the tribe Gorillini or a stem-hominid outside the hominins. Examinations on the postcranial skeleton of Sahelanthropus also indicated that this taxon was not a habitual biped.

  1. ^ a b Brunet, M.; Guy, F.; Pilbeam, D.; et al. (2002). "A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad, Central Africa" (PDF). Nature. 418 (6894): 145–151. Bibcode:2002Natur.418..145B. doi:10.1038/nature00879. PMID 12110880. S2CID 1316969.