Hominid
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The term hominid has two common definitions.
- It can refer to a prehistoric cave man, as well as a modern human.
- In recent taxonomy works, it can refer to humans, as well as the great apes, including gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and their ancestors up to several millions of years ago.
The first definition is similar to what is found in common dictionaries.[1] It is also commonly used by scientists to refer to human ancestors and closely related species like Neanderthals.[2]
The second definition is preferred by modern biologists who deemphasize the distinction between humans and apes.