Habilis

Homo habilis, meaning "handy man" in Latin, is an early species of the genus Homo. It lived in Africa during the early Pleistocene, roughly 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago. Fossils have been found at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and at Koobi Fora and other sites in Kenya, indicating a distribution across East Africa. H. habilis is among the earliest members of Homo and is commonly viewed as bridging earlier australopithecines and later Homo species.

Discovery and naming: The species was first described in 1964 by Louis Leakey and colleagues Phillip Tobias and John Napier, based on fossils from Olduvai Gorge. The name habilis, Latin for "handy" or "skillful," refers to tool-making ability associated with the specimens.

Anatomy: H. habilis is larger-brained than Australopithecus, with an average brain size around 510–600 cm3. It has a relatively reduced face and smaller teeth compared with australopithecines, a mix of primitive and derived features, and evidence of habitually bipedal locomotion. Hand bones indicate improved dexterity for tool use.

Tools and behavior: H. habilis is commonly linked with the Oldowan Stone Tool Industry, including simple cores and flake tools used for cutting and processing food. This technology marks a major change in hominin behavior, though the extent to which habilis alone was responsible for tool production is debated.

Taxonomy and debate: The classification of H. habilis remains disputed. Some researchers view it as the earliest species in the Homo lineage, while others split material into multiple species, such as H. rudolfensis, or argue it represents a mix of specimens from different lineages. Nonetheless, it is widely recognized as one of the first Homo species.