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The family *Hominidae* of order *Primates* includes hominoids, commonly known as the great apes. Fossil evidence and DNA comparisons between humans and chimpanzees indicate that these species diverged from a common hominoid ancestor around 6 million years ago. Several species evolved from the evolutionary branch that led to humans, although our species is the only surviving lineage. The term *hominin* refers to species that evolved after this split, signifying those more closely related to humans than to chimpanzees. Hominins were predominantly bipedal and include groups that likely contributed to the rise of modern humans, including *Australopithecus*, *Homo habilis* and *Homo erectus*, as well as non-ancestral groups, considered evolutionary "cousins" of modern humans, such as Neanderthals. *LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS CC licensed content, Shared previously, The Evolution of Primates, Authored by: OpenStax College. License: CC BY: Attribution. License Terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/J60E3NTA@4/The-Evolution-of-Primates*
