---
lang: en
type: Hominin
record_kind: entity-profile
title: Sahelanthropus tchadensis
description: Sahelanthropus tchadensis is one of the earliest known species in the human family tree, living between 7 and 6 million years ago in West-Central Africa and representing a potential common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees.
llms_summary: "Sahelanthropus tchadensis. (Koro Toro, Borkou, Chad). Hominin. Associated Tools None. Chronological Range 7 Mya. Cranial Capacity 320 cc. Estimated Stature 1 m. Evolutionary Group Early Hominin. Extinction Context Represents a population near the human-chimpanzee split; likely evolved into or was outcompeted by subsequent lineages.  Fossil Abundance Extremely rare; primarily a single cranium and jaw fragments.  Type Specimen TM 266-01-060-1 (Toumaï). Year Discovered 2001. Paleoanthropology. Sahelanthropus tchadensis is one of the earliest known species in the human family tree, living between 7 and 6 million years ago in West-Central Africa and representing a potential common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees.  canonical profile on Chrisyst Datasets"
canonical: "https://datasets.chrisyst.com/sahelanthropus-tchadensis/index.md"
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slug: sahelanthropus-tchadensis
record_kind: entity-profile
content_sha256: 2a32ae0bdfbcf5f2d0b385a30493400dae29595c7ce298f93c75ec4ed2ab26b5
indexed_at: "2026-07-16T13:15:13.715Z"
license: citation-free
entities:
  -
    role: subject
    slug: sahelanthropus-tchadensis
    name: Sahelanthropus tchadensis
    type: Hominin
    profile_url: "https://datasets.chrisyst.com/sahelanthropus-tchadensis/index.md"
    same_as:
      - "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192343"
---
# Sahelanthropus tchadensis

Sahelanthropus tchadensis is one of the earliest known species in the human family tree, living between 7 and 6 million years ago in West-Central Africa and representing a potential common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees.

## Record

- **Title**: [Sahelanthropus tchadensis](https://datasets.chrisyst.com/sahelanthropus-tchadensis/index.md)
- **Geo target**: Koro Toro, Borkou, Chad
- **Website**: https://www.mnhn.fr/en
- **Address**: 57 Rue Cuvier, Paris, Île-de-France, 75005, France
- **Coordinates**: 16.02, 18.88

### Summary

Sahelanthropus tchadensis is one of the earliest known species in the human family tree, living between 7 and 6 million years ago in West-Central Africa and representing a potential common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees.

### Description

## An Ancient Enigma
*Sahelanthropus tchadensis* represents a pivotal, yet enigmatic, chapter in human evolution. Discovered in the Djurab Desert of Chad by a team led by French paleontologist Michel Brunet in 2001, the species is primarily known from a single, nearly complete cranium nicknamed "Toumaï" (Hope of Life). Dated to the late Miocene epoch, approximately 7 to 6 million years ago, Toumaï exhibits a fascinating mosaic of primitive and derived traits. Its cranial capacity is small, around 350 cubic centimeters, similar to that of a modern chimpanzee. However, its facial structure is flatter than that of other Miocene apes, and its canines are small and non-honed. Most significantly, the foramen magnum—the opening where the spinal cord exits the skull—is positioned anteriorly, strongly suggesting that *Sahelanthropus* habitually held its head upright and was capable of bipedal locomotion.

### Attributes

- **Associated Tools**: None
- **Chronological Range**: 7 Mya
- **Cranial Capacity**: 320 cc _(quality 350)_
- **Estimated Stature**: 1 m _(quality 1)_
- **Evolutionary Group**: Early Hominin
- **Extinction Context**: Represents a population near the human-chimpanzee split; likely evolved into or was outcompeted by subsequent lineages.
- **Fossil Abundance**: Extremely rare; primarily a single cranium and jaw fragments.
- **Type Specimen**: TM 266-01-060-1 (Toumaï)
- **Year Discovered**: 2001 _(quality 2001)_