Final answer:
The first humans to emerge were known as Homo erectus around 1.8 million years ago, who are ancestors to Homo sapiens that appeared much later and spread across the globe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first humans were a group called Homo erectus, which emerged some 1.8 million years ago (mya). Homo erectus was an early species in the genus Homo that first evolved in East Africa, migrated to Eurasia, and has been identified in various places, including the site known as Peking Man in northern China. As an early ancestor to modern humans, Homo erectus displayed significant advancements such as walking upright and, over time, was probably ancestral to other human species like Homo heidelbergensis and eventually to Homo sapiens.
The species Homo sapiens, our own, appeared much later, around 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. These early humans would go on to evolve sophisticated tools, master the use of fire, and spread from Africa to populate different parts of the globe, sometimes interbreeding with other hominin species like the Neanderthals. The defining features of Homo sapiens include an anatomy comparable to present-day humans, the development of complex cultures, and the use of language, all of which have shaped our history as a species.