Sahelanthropus tchadensis

[ sah-he--lan-thruh-puhs cha-den-sis ]

noun

1. an extinct species of hominin and one of the oldest known species in the human lineage, having lived between about 6 and 7 million years ago in central Africa and noted for its upright walking as well as both apelike and humanlike features: the first of few fossil specimens were discovered in northern Chad in 2001, indicating the earliest humans were more widely distributed than previously thought.
2. a fossil belonging to this species.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sahelanthropus tchadensis¹

First recorded in 2000–05; from New Latin Sahelanthrōpus, literally, “Sahel man,” from Arabic sāḥil “coast, shore” + Greek ánthrōpos “human being, man” + tchadensis , literally, “of or pertaining to Chad,” in north central Africa.