A schematic cladogram. The purpose of this figure is to show that Homo sapiens is one branch within a much larger evolutionary tree, not something apart from it.
Branch lengths are not proportional to time. Many lineages are omitted for clarity. Use the buttons below to trace the lineage leading to modern humans.
For lecture use, step through the tree first, then finish by highlighting the full path to Homo sapiens. Arrow keys (or a presenter remote) also step forward and back.
Figure: A simplified animal phylogeny showing the lineage leading to modern humans. Representative sister groups are included so that the human branch can be seen within a wider branching pattern.
Current focus
Status
Click Trace lineage step to begin. The highlighted path will gradually move from Animals to Homo sapiens.
Unhighlighted branches
Human lineage
Other taxa
Nodes on the lineage to Homo sapiens
How to read the tree
Every branch point represents a lineage split from a common ancestor.
Terminal labels are the named taxa or representative lineages shown in this simplified tree.
Left–right position is just layout. It does not imply progress or superiority.
The aim is to see where humans are nested within the tree, not to memorize every displayed branch.