智人(Homo sapiens)
（原意为「有智慧的人」）智人是现代人在生物学分类上的属种（Homo sapiens sapien智人科／现代人种）。根据已知的化石证据，并含括年代古老所包含的变异量，智人的起源约为十二万年前，但最久远也可能到四十万年前。「智人」与较早的人种「原人」（hominid）已有许多不同的体质特徵及生活习性，例如两足直立行走、脑容量可达1,350cc、前额较高、牙齿及颚骨较小、下巴内缩、能够发明及使用工具和符号等。很多学者主张现代人种的发展是始自十五万年前的非洲，并且在十万年前向近东地区扩散，然後在四、五万年前到达欧亚大陆（这种说法称为「单一起源模型」），而有些学者则认为扩散发生的时间较上述说法为晚（五万至六万五千年前）。另一派则主张现代人是廿五万年前由散布在欧亚大陆不同地区的古老智人发展而成的（这种说法称「区域连续性模型」）。在单一起源模型的理论中，世界上不同人种之间的差异，发生的年代不会太久远；而区域连续模型的理论中，不同人种的差异明显可推溯到更久远的年代。但不论何者，都认为一万一千年前现代人已遍布全地球。亦请参阅Cro-Magnon、culture、human evolution、Neanderthal
English version：
Homo sapiens
(“man the wise”) Genus and species to which all modern human beings (Homo sapiens sapiens) belong and whose oldest known fossil remains date to c. 120,000 years ago, or much earlier (c. 400,000 years ago) if evidence of certain “archaic” varieties is included. H. sapiens is distinguished from earlier hominid species by characteristics and habits such as bipedal stance and gait, brain capacity averaging about 1,350 cc, high forehead, small teeth and jaw, defined chin, construction and use of tools, and ability to use symbols. Many scholars believe that modern humans developed in Africa c. 150,000 years ago and spread to the Near East c. 100,000 years ago and to other parts of Eurasia c. 40,000-50,000 years ago (this is known as the “single-origin” model). Some consider this dispersion to have occurred even more recently (50,000-65,000 years ago). Others contend that modern humans developed from various regional populations of archaic H. sapiens in Eurasia beginning c. 250,000 years ago (the “regional-continuity” model). In the first model the genetic differences that exist between the peoples of the world would not be very old; in the second model they would be significantly older. In any case, by c. 11,000 BC H. sapiens sapiens had peopled virtually the entire globe. See also Cro-Magnon, culture, human evolution, Neanderthal.