Human Ancestor Collection

1909 Cartoon Darwin, apes, Haeckel
1909 " On Darwins hundredth Birthday" Illustration of Charles Darwin in heavenly tree with young chimpanzee (left) and orangutan (right)

Homo ergaster, artwork C013 / 9576
Homo ergaster. Artwork of Homo ergaster early humans using tools. H. ergaster was a hominid that emerged about 1.9 million years ago in Africa

Homo habilis hunting, artwork C013 / 6549
Homo habilis group using tools to share a kill, artwork. H. habilis is thought to have lived approximately 2 to 1.6 million years ago in East Africa

1860s Charles Lyell portrait photo cdv
CDV photograph of Sir Charles Lyell (14th November 1797-22 February 1875) by John Watkins taken some time in the 1860 s. Lyell began his career as a lawyer

Neanderthal settlementwith cooking, skinning and toolmaking going on in foreground

Silberberg Grotto, South Africa, artwork
Silberberg Grotto, South Africa. Computer artwork showing the layout of the Silberberg Grotto in the Sterkfontein cave system of South Africa

Prehistoric bear eating human bones C013 / 9584
Prehistoric bear eating human bones. Artwork of a now-extinct Ursus deningeri bear earing the remains of humans in the Sima de los Huesos (pit of bones), in the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca

Prehistoric death ritual, artwork C013 / 9573
Prehistoric death ritual. Artwork showing Homo heidelbergensis hominids throwing one of their dead into the Sima de los Huesos (pit of bones), in the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Prehistoric death ritual, artwork C013 / 9578
Prehistoric death ritual. Artwork showing Homo heidelbergensis hominids throwing one of their dead into the Sima de los Huesos (pit of bones), in the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Neanderthals hunting mammoth, artwork C013 / 9579
Neanderthals hunting mammoth. Artwork of neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) humans hunting woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). Like modern humans, Neanderthals are members of the Homo genus

Homo habilis hunting, artwork C013 / 9577
Homo habilis hunting. Artwork of Homo habilis early humans using tools to butcher their prey. H. habilis is thought to have lived approximately 2 to 1.6 million years ago in East Africa

Homo heidelbergensis hunting, artwork C013 / 9572
Homo heidelbergensis hunting. Artwork of two Homo heidelbergensis early humans hunting bison by a river in what is now the Atapuerca Mountains, Spain. H

Homo antecessor, artwork C013 / 9575
Homo antecessor. Artwork of a Homo antecessor early human using tools in the mouth of a cave. The remains of this hominid were discovered in level TD6 of the Gran Dolina archaeological sites in

Human evolution, conceptual image C013 / 9574
Human Evolution, conceptual image. Computer artwork representing the evolution of hominids from our distant ancestors (right) to present day humans (Homo sapiens sapiens, left)

Ardipithecus ramidus, artwork C013 / 9571
Ardipithecus ramidus. Artwork of an Ardipithecus ramidus hominid in a tree. This species is considered a basal hominid, one that is closely related to the common ancestor of apes and humans

Homo habilis hunting, artwork C013 / 6548
Homo habilis group using tools to kill an antelope, artwork. H. habilis is thought to have lived approximately 2 to 1.6 million years ago in East Africa

Group of hominids, computer artwork
Group of hominids. Artwork of a group of hominids gathering in a clearing. Early hominid species such as Australopithecus sp. were upright walking ape-like creatures

1824 Strange Schinz Orang Orangutan
Contemporary coloured lithograph by Carl Brotdmann of " Der Orang-Uttang" appearing as table 1 in " Naturhistorische Abbinldungen der Saeugethiere" by Heinrich Rudolph Schinz

1812 Orang utan pan satyrus and hylobates
1812 Copperplate engraving of an orang utan and lar gibbon from Pantalogia New Cyclopedia, published by Sherwood and Co, Paternoster St. London

1909 First Neanderthal restoration crop2
Reconstruction of the neanderthal Man of Chapelle-Aux-Saints (halftone here treated to avoid moire) by Mr. Kupka (scientifically advised by Marcellin Boule) for the Illustrated London News (ILN)

1824 Schinz apes, gibbon, orang, chimp
Contemporary coloured lithograph by Carl Brotdmann of " Der Orang-Uttang", " Der Hooloch" and " Der Shimpanzee" appearing as table 1 in " Naturhistorische

1812 Orang utan
1812 Copperplate engraving of an orang utan from Pantalogia New Cyclopedia, published by Sherwood and Co, Paternoster St. London

1909 First Neanderthal restoration crop
Reconstruction of the Neanderthal Man of Chapelle-Aux-Saints (halftone here treated to avoid moire) by Mr. Kupka (scientifically advised by Marcellin Boule) for the Illustrated London News (ILN)

1812 Lar Gibbon yeti look-alike hylobates
1812 Copperplate engraving of a " lar or long armed ape" (gibbon) from Pantalogia New Cyclopedia, published by Sherwood and Co, Paternoster St. London

1909 Cartoon Darwin with Apes detail
1909 Illustration of Charles Darwin in tree with young chimpanzee (left) and orangutan (right) by the German artist Thomas Theodor Heine in the periodical " Simplicissimus" 15th February

1838 Cave Man engraving L Homme Fossile
Engraving of an ape-like cave man accompanying an article by Boitard in the French Magasin Universel (April 1838). This is the earliest reconstruction of a pre-historic human

1861 Fossil Man by Boitard
M. Boitards drawing of a decidedly simian fossil man was published after his death in the 1861 book " Paris Avant Les Hommes" (engraving by Moreau)

1673 Man headed bear ape after Ogilby
Papio and man-headed beast. Published in Amsterdam in 1673 by Jacob Von Meurs for Arnoldus Montanus " De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld" after the first book related to America by Ogilby

Four British Paleolithic handaxes
Four pointed British paleolithic (Mode 2 acheulian) handaxes. These were made from flint (silex) by Homo Heidelbergensis between approximately 400, 000 and 100, 000 years ago

Charles Lyell portrait engraving Stoddart
Frontispiece Volume II of the " Life Letters and Journals of Sir Charles Lyell, BART" John Murray publishers 1881. Engraving by Stoddart from a photograph

1863 Adam and Eve from zoology textbook
1863 hand coloured lithograph by Raimondo Petraroja from the second volume (primates and monkeys) of Giovanni Boschi (editor) Atlante Zoologico Popolare. Published series from 1863-1879. Italy

1863 Lyells Antiquity of Man desktop
Printers page title and frontispiece engraving from Charles Lyells 1863 " The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man" together with a paleolithic flint handaxe from the Thames gravels

Researcher holding fossil tooth cast
Researcher with virtual reality (VR) goggles holding a the cast of a fossil hominid molar tooth. 3D computed tomography (CT)

Homo erectus clay model. Sculptor modelling a clay Homo erectus head

Neanderthal DNA extraction. Close up view of a technician drilling a sample of fossilised Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) bone

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"Unraveling the Tapestry of our Human Ancestors: Tracing the Evolutionary Journey" In 1909, a cartoon by Darwin sparked curiosity about our origins. As we delve into the depths of history, we encounter a fascinating mosaic that connects us to our ancient past. From apes to Haeckel's artistic renderings, we explore the diverse branches on humanity's family tree. Homo ergaster emerges as a pivotal figure in this narrative, depicted vividly in artwork C013 / 9576. Witnessing Homo habilis hunting in artwork C013 / 6549 transports us back to an era where survival skills were honed through sheer determination and resourcefulness. Charles Lyell's portrait photo cdv from the 1860s reminds us of those who laid the foundation for understanding human evolution. Neanderthal settlements come alive before our eyes; cooking, skinning, and toolmaking unfold in intricate detail against their backdrop. The Silberberg Grotto in South Africa showcases artistry that transcends time itself. Yet amidst these triumphs lies evidence of struggle – prehistoric bears feasting upon human bones (C013 / 9584). We are reminded of mortality and how death rituals have shaped cultures throughout millennia (artwork C013 / 9573 & C013 / 9578). The resilience of Neanderthals is unveiled as they embark on mammoth hunts (artwork C013 / 9579), while Homo habilis and Homo heidelbergensis showcase their prowess as skilled hunters (artworks C013 / 9577 & C013/9572). As we piece together these fragments from antiquity, it becomes clear that every step taken by our ancestors paved the way for humankind today. Their struggles, achievements, and rituals echo within us all – reminding us of our shared heritage and inspiring awe at how far we've come.