According to human migration studies, when did the earliest known hominins evolve?

The earliest known hominins evolved around 4 million years ago. This period is significant because it marks the emergence of species that exhibit key traits distinguishing them from other primates, such as bipedalism, which is the ability to walk upright on two legs. Fossil evidence, particularly from Africa, has identified early hominins like Australopithecus, which date back to this timeframe.

The evolution of these species set the stage for the later development of the Homo genus, leading up to modern humans. Understanding the timeline of human evolution is crucial for grasping how early hominins adapted to their environments, which laid the foundation for subsequent migrations and transformations in human behavior.