Sahelanthropus fossil map
Where fossils of Sahelanthropus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 5 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 7.246–5.333 million years ago (Messinian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Hominidae |
| Named by | Brunet et al. 2002 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Chad |
| Rock formations | txn:40899 |
About Sahelanthropus
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 the 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. The supposed bipedality based on the postcranial skeleton of Sahelanthropus has also been a subject of debate among paleoanthropologists.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Sahelanthropus (revision 1381374527), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q15103944.
