Homininae
Subfamily of hominids including humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas.
Homininae, commonly referred to as hominines, is a subfamily within the family Hominidae that includes humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas, and is sometimes called "African hominids" or "African apes." The subfamily comprises all hominids that emerged after the subfamily Ponginae, which contains orangutans, diverged from the great ape lineage. The Homininae are divided into two tribes with living representatives: Hominini, which includes the genus *Homo* (with only one extant species, modern humans, and numerous extinct human species) and the genus *Pan* (with two living species, chimpanzees and bonobos); and Gorillini, which contains the genus *Gorilla* (with two living species and variants, plus one known extinct genus). Some classification schemes place *Pan* in its own separate tribe, called Panini, making a third tribe for the subfamily. The subfamily also includes the extinct tribe Dryopithecini. The Late Miocene fossil *Nakalipithecus nakayamai*, described in 2007, and possibly *Ouranopithecus*, are considered basal members of this clade, not assignable to any of the three living branches, suggesting the tribes diverged no earlier than about 8 million years ago.
Until 1970, the family Hominidae referred only to humans, with non-human great apes placed in the family Pongidae. Later discoveries prompted reclassification, uniting the great apes with humans in Hominidae under Homininae. By 1990, it was recognized that gorillas and chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than to orangutans, leading to their inclusion in Homininae. Fossil evidence of extinct *Homo* species, such as *Homo floresiensis*, has been found with dates as recent as 40,000 years ago. While no fossil gorillas have been reported, four chimpanzee teeth about 500,000 years old were discovered in Kenya’s Kapthurin Formation, showing that some chimpanzees lived alongside *Homo erectus* or *Homo rhodesiensis* at that time.
- 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
The subfamily Homininae, also referred to as African hominids or African apes, encompasses humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas, along with numerous extinct relatives. This group comprises all hominids that emerged after the orangutan lineage (subfamily Ponginae) diverged. The subfamily is structured into three main branches: the tribe Gorillini (gorillas), the tribe Hominini (which includes humans and chimpanzees/bonobos), and the extinct tribe Dryopithecini. Within Hominini, two subtribes are recognized: Hominina, containing humans and their extinct ancestors, and Panina, which includes chimpanzees and bonobos. The classification reflects that gorillas and chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than to orangutans. Fossil evidence indicates that extinct Homo species, such as *Homo floresiensis*, existed as recently as 40,000 years ago. Notably, chimpanzee teeth approximately 500,000 years old have been found in East Africa, showing that chimpanzees lived alongside early humans. The Late Miocene fossils *Nakalipithecus nakayamai* and *Ouranopithecus* represent basal members of this clade, suggesting the tribes diverged no earlier than about 8 million years ago. Members of this subfamily are individually called hominines, a term distinct from hominins or Hominini.
Reader's Guide
Homininae, or African hominids, is the subfamily of great apes that emerged after the orangutan lineage (Ponginae) diverged. It comprises three main branches: the tribe Gorillini (gorillas), the tribe Hominini (which includes humans and chimpanzees/bonobos), and the extinct tribe Dryopithecini. Until the 1970s, the family Hominidae referred only to humans, with other great apes placed in Pongidae. Revised classifications, solidified by 1990, recognized that gorillas and chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than to orangutans, leading to their inclusion in Homininae. The subfamily’s evolutionary history is traced through fossils like *Nakalipithecus nakayamai* and *Ouranopithecus* from the Late Miocene, which are basal members not assignable to any living branch, suggesting the tribes diverged no earlier than about eight million years ago. The study of Homininae is central to understanding human origins, as it includes the hominin subtribe Hominina, which contains extinct genera such as *Sahelanthropus*, *Orrorin*, *Ardipithecus*, *Australopithecus*, *Paranthropus*, and numerous *Homo* species, including *Homo floresiensis* dating to as recently as 40,000 years ago. Chimpanzee teeth about 500,000 years old found in Kenya demonstrate that *Pan* lived alongside early *Homo* species, while gorilla fossils remain unreported, likely due to the poor preservation conditions of tropical forest soils. The subfamily’s classification remains dynamic, with some schemes placing *Pan* in its own tribe, Panini.
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.
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