Homo sapiens

[ hoh-moh sey-pee-uhnz ]

noun

1. the species of bipedal primates to which modern humans ( Homo sapiens sapiens ) belong, characterized by a large brain, a nearly vertical forehead, a skeletal build lighter and teeth smaller than earlier humans, and dependence upon language and the creation and utilization of complex tools: the species has existed for about 200,000 years. Boskop man, Cro-Magnon, Marmes man, Niah Cave.
2. humankind.

Homo sapiens

/ ˈsæpɪˌɛnz /

noun

1. the specific name of modern man; the only extant species of the genus Homo. This species also includes extinct types of primitive man such as Cro-Magnon man See also man

Homo sapiens

/ sā′pē-ənz /

1. The modern species of humans. Archaic forms of Homo sapiens probably evolved around 300,000 years ago or earlier in Africa, and anatomically modern fossils are known from about 100,000 years ago. All humans now living belong to the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens . The closest living relative of Homo sapiens is the chimpanzee.
2. See more at archaic Homo sapiens

Homo sapiens

1. The biological classification of modern humans. Homo sapiens is Latin for “the wise human” or “the clever human.” The earliest Homo sapiens was Neanderthal , who developed about 150,000 years ago. Sometimes modern humans are further classified into the subspecies of Homo sapiens neanderthalis (Neanderthals) and Homo sapiens sapiens ( Cro-Magnons and present-day humans). ( See Linnean classification .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Homo sapiens¹

First recorded in 1770–75; from New Latin: literally, “rational man”; Homo ( def ), sapient ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Homo sapiens¹

New Latin, from Latin homo man + sapiens wise

Example Sentences

It has 50 times more DNA than Homo sapiens, the species that figured out what DNA is in the first place.

From Los Angeles Times

The research team examined genomes from 59 ancient Homo sapiens individuals, mostly from Western Europe and Asia, dating from between 45,000 and 2200 years ago.

From Science Magazine

"Why did Neanderthals disappear from the stage around the same time as Homo sapiens spread over regions where Neanderthals had lived successfully for almost half a million years?"

From Science Daily

The emergence of Homo sapiens in Eastern Asia has long been a subject of intense research interest, with the scarcity of well-preserved and dated human fossils posing significant challenges.

From Science Daily

Fish consumption is part and parcel of the evolution of Homo sapiens.

From Salon