Homo habilis

American  

[hoh-moh hab-uh-lis] / ˈhoʊ moʊ ˈhæb ə lɪs /

noun

1. an extinct species of upright East African hominin having some advanced humanlike characteristics, dated as being from about 1.5 million to more than 2 million years old and proposed as an early form of Homo leading to modern humans.

2. a fossil belonging to this species.

---

Homo habilis British  

/ ˈhæbɪlɪs /

noun

1. an extinct species of primitive man, the first to use stone tools

---

Homo habilis Scientific  

/ hăb′ə-ləs /

1. An extinct species of early humans, known from fossils found in eastern Africa and often considered to be the first member of the genus Homo. It is associated with stone tools of the Oldowan culture. Homo habilis existed between about 2.5 and 1.6 million years ago and overlapped with late australopithecines and other hominids whose relationship to each other and to the later Homo erectus are uncertain.

---

Etymology

Origin of Homo habilis

First recorded in 1960–65; from New Latin: literally “skillful man, handy man,” because this species was thought to represent the first maker of stone tools. The oldest stone tools, however, are currently dated slightly older than the oldest evidence of the genus Homo

Compare meaning

How does homo-habilis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Homo habilis vs. Homo erectus

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Homo habilis

One idea is that DAN5 could reflect admixture between classic African Homo erectus and the earlier Homo habilis species.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 16, 2025

“It’s a convincing case,” Ward says, “but it’s just one mandible until about 2 million years ago,” when at least two members of the genus, Homo habilis and H. erectus, appear elsewhere in eastern Africa.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 3, 2024

While Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis probably only ate a lizard here and there or the meaty remains left behind by other predators, Homo erectus was a hunter.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 25, 2023

Homo habilis resembles us in many ways, with a large brain similar to ours as well as small teeth and a face we might recognize as human.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

He filled in the meaningless words—Homo erectus, Homo habilis, Homo sapiens, Neanderthal—with great relief.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix