The following is a non-branching cladogram depicting the hypothetical evolutionary history of modern humans. Each clade represents a point of convergence/divergence between the evolutionary path of modern humans and that of other orgamisms.
The top of the list begins very generally at the super-kingdom level and proceeds down to the highly specific at the sub-species level.
- Eukaryota (cells with a clearly defined nucleus)
- Animalia = Metazoa (multi-cellular, mobile, muscular organisms)
- Bilateria (bilaterally symmetrical bodies)
- Deuterostomata (the mouth forms after the anus in embryonic development)
- Chordata (at some point during development: gills, spinal cord, notochord, post-anal tail)
- Craniata (skull)
- Vertebrata (spinal column, well-developed brain and circulatory system, paired complex eyes, muscular mouth)
- Gnathostomata (jaw)
- Teleostomi
- Osteichthyes
- Sarcopterygii = Crossopterygii
- Tetrapoda ("four legs", usually...)
- Anthracosauria
- Metaxygnathus
- Acanthostega (gills, paddle-like limbs with eight free digits on each limb, primarily aquatic)
- Ichthyostega (called the first 'four-legged fish', amphibious, first tetrapod capable of life on land)
- Antlerpeton
- Tulerpeton (semi-aquatic, capable of fully terrestrial rib-powered lung breathing, no gills)
- Crassigyrinus
- Temnospondyli
- Whatcheeria
- Embolomeri
- Gephyrostegida
- Solenodonsaurus
- Amniotomorpha
- Westlothiana (the oldest known probable amniote)
- Amniotiformes
- Amniota (eggs have an anmiotic sac and are usually hard-shelled)
- Synapsida (possibly warm-blooded)
- Eupelycosauria
- Ophiacodontidae(semi-aquatic)
- Edaphosauridae
- Sphenacodontia (meat eaters, this clade contains the Dimetrodon)
- Palaeohatteria
- Pantelosaurus
- Cutleria
- Sphenacodontoidea
- Therapsida
- Dinocephalia ("terrible heads")
- Anomodontia ("lizards with abnormal teeth")
- Theriodontia (reptiles resembling early carnivorous mammals)
- Therocephalia ("beast heads")
- Cynodontia ("dog teeth", advanced mammal-like reptiles)
- Eucynodontia
- Probainognathia
- Eoraetia
- Mammaliformes
- Morganucodontidae
- Docodonta
- Mammalia (hairy, milk-producing, warm-blooded)
- Allotheria
- Theriiformes
- Triconodonta
- Holotheria
- Kuehnotheria
- Trechnotheria = Yangotheria
- Symmetrodonta ("symmetrical teeth")
- Cladotheria ("branch beasts")
- Amphitheriida
- Zatheria
- Paramura
- Tribosphenida (this clade contains marsupials and placentals)
- Aegialodontia
- Theria ("beasts", mammals that do not lay eggs)
- Eutheria ("true beasts", all bear live young, nourished before birth by a placenta)
- Edentata
- Placentalia (placental mammals)
- Epitheria ("after beasts", this clade excludes anteaters, armadillos, and sloths)
- Archonta ("rulers", this clade includes flying lemurs, bats, and tree shrews)
- Primatomorpha ("Primate forms", this clade includes flying lemurs and primates)
- Plesiadapiformes (this clade contains primitive, squirrel-like animals)
- Purgatorius (this clade includes primative, primate-like animals)
- Primates ("primary ones")
- Anthropoidea (this clade contains the "higher" primates)
- Haplorhini (no reflective layer of the retina, exludes lemurs, lorises, and galagos)
- Catarrhini (this clade includes Old World monkeys, apes, and humans)
- Hominoidea (this clade includes all tailless apes and humans)
- Hominidae
- Homininae
- Hominini (this clade includes australopithecus)
- Homo (this clade includes habilis, erectus, rudolfensis)
- Sapiens (this clade includes neandertalensis )
- Sapiens (this clade includes only anatomically modern humans)