Final answer:
The earliest known member of the genus Homo is Homo habilis, which lived between 2.5 and 1.4 million years ago and displayed features more similar to modern humans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Earliest Member of Genus Homo
The first known member of the genus Homo is Homo habilis. Homo habilis is an early species that lived from about 2.5 to 1.4 million years ago in East Africa, which was likely ancestral to Homo erectus. While fossils of Homo habilis were once the oldest known representatives of the genus Homo, the discovery of Homo gautengensis in 2010 may challenge this position. Nevertheless, Homo habilis remains a significant figure in the lineage of human evolution due to its more human-like features such as a larger brain and the use of stone tools compared to its predecessors.