What is the name of the oldest known hominid fossil, dated to 7 million years ago?

The oldest known hominid fossil, dated to about 7 million years ago, is Sahelanthropus tchadensis. Its best-known specimen is a partial skull nicknamed Toumaï, discovered in 2001 in the Djurab Desert of northern Chad and formally described in 2002.

Sahelanthropus lived during the Late Miocene, around 7–6 million years ago. Its skull combines primitive features, such as heavy brow ridges and a small braincase, with traits that may relate it to the human lineage, including relatively small canine teeth and the position of the opening where the spine connects to the skull.

The fossil is important because it predates better-known early hominins such as Orrorin tugenensis and Ardipithecus. However, scientists still debate exactly where Sahelanthropus belongs on the evolutionary tree. Some analyses place it near the human–chimpanzee last common ancestor, while others suggest it may be a stem hominid outside the human branch or even related to the gorilla lineage.

A common mix-up is confusing “oldest known hominid” with “oldest Homo fossil.” Homo habilis is far younger, appearing roughly 2.4 million years ago, while Sahelanthropus belongs to a much earlier chapter of human evolution.