We're all hominins. And hominids. And primates. And mammals. And vertebrates. Once more, clarifying YEC confusion on terminology.

One thing that characterises YEC opposition to evolutionary creationism is their misuse of the term 'hominid'. Certainly, as the following quotes from a recent article would illustrate, it hard to avoid the conclusion that this is done purely to create fear and uncertainty by playing on the layperson's view of the term 'hominid':

• The assertion that Genesis 1:26,27 relates to the gradual evolution of a hominid species has no Biblical foundation.
• There is no Biblical evidence for the existence of a hominid race.
• There is no Biblical proof that the genealogy of Jesus had input from a hominid race.

The term hominid refers simply to humans, great apes, and their ancestors. Likewise, hominin refers to humans, and their ancestors up to the human-ape common ancestor. The only living hominins are humans. The only living hominids are humans and the great apes such as gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees. When YECs use 'hominid' as a scare term, they are betraying a considerable lack of understanding of what the word means. We are hominins. We are hominids. We are mammals. We are vertebrates. A few moments reading on taxonomy would help YECs avoid making such mistakes, and help improve the rigour and accuracy of their arguments considerably.

Beth Blaxland, writing at the Australian Museum website provides a concise definition of the terms hominin and hominid which are accessible to the layperson:

The most commonly used recent definitions are:
Hominid – the group consisting of all modern and extinct Great Apes (that is, modern humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans plus all their immediate ancestors).
Hominin – the group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species and all our immediate ancestors (including members of the genera Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Ardipithecus).
- See more at: http://australianmuseum.net.au/hominid-and-hominin-whats-the-difference#sthash.xW4HihIc.dpuf

The most commonly used recent definitions are:
Hominid – the group consisting of all modern and extinct Great Apes (that is, modern humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans plus all their immediate ancestors).
Hominin – the group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species and all our immediate ancestors (including members of the genera Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Ardipithecus).
- See more at: http://australianmuseum.net.au/hominid-and-hominin-whats-the-difference#sthash.xW4HihIc.dpuf

The most commonly used recent definitions are:

Hominid – the group consisting of all modern and extinct Great Apes (that is, modern humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans plus all their immediate ancestors).

Hominin – the group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species and all our immediate ancestors (including members of the genera Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Ardipithecus).

Given that the last hominin other than Homo sapiens - our species - died out when Homo floresiensis became extinct around 13,000 years ago at the latest, when was created around 10,000 years ago (approximately when animal and plant domestication was mastered in the ancient Near East), the only hominin in existence was Homo sapiens, while the only hominids were humans and the gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans. When YECs use the term 'hominid', they are indulging in little more than fearmongering, playing on the layperson belief that hominid refers to a low-browed, grunting ape-man, rather than a simple taxonomic term.

Two living hominids. (Source)

 While the YEC who is determined to remain uninformed is unfortunately hardly likely to be swayed by facts, I trust that appealing to the facts will be of help to the intellectually honest reader who is more concerned with evidence over inflammatory rhetoric.