prehuman

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Preceding the advent of modern humanity, Homo sapiens.

   In the recently opened Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins, there are more than 200 casts of prehuman and human fossils and artifacts that illustrate stages in physical and behavioral evolution.

2. 2
   noun

   One of the human-like creatures that existed before Homo sapiens.

   They said the find also added to evidence that painted a picture of Homo erectus as the prehumans who took long evolutionary strides — figuratively and, now it seems, also literally.

Etymology

From pre- + human.