Sahelanthropus tchadensis is an extinct homininae species (and is probably the ancestor to Orrorin) that is dated to about 7 million years ago, during the Miocene epoch, possibly very close to the time of the chimpanzee–human divergence. Few specimens are known, other than the partial skull nicknamed Toumaï ("hope of life").
For more information, click here. Or, Try these sources:
- Beauvilain Alain, 2003. Toumaï, l’aventure humaine. La Table Ronde, Paris, 239 p. ISBN 2-7103-2592-6.
- Brunet Michel, 2006. D'Abel à Toumaï : Nomade, chercheur d'os. Odile Jacob, Paris, 254 p. ISBN 978-2-7381-1738-0. Can be read here.
- Gibbons Ann, 2006. The first human.. Doubleday, New York, 306 p. ISBN 978-0385512268. Can be read here.
- Reader John, 2011. Missing links : in search of human origins. Oxford University Press, New York, 538 p. ISBN 978-0-19-927685-1.. Can be read here.