Humans, specifically anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens), first appeared on Earth about 300,000 to 315,000 years ago in Africa. This timeline is based on fossil evidence such as skull fragments found in Morocco and other parts of Africa. Earlier human ancestors and related species evolved over millions of years, with bipedalism appearing over 4 million years ago and various human- like species existing between 6 million and 2 million years ago. Modern humans share a common ancestor with apes that lived between 6 and 8 million years ago. The emergence of Homo sapiens marked the development of traits like complex brain function, tool use, and behaviorally modern characteristics over the last 100,000 years.
