Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage that degrade bone. Here, we used lineage tracing studies—labelling cells expressing Cx3cr1, Csf1r or Flt3—to identify the precursors of osteoclasts in mice. We identified an erythromyeloid progenitor (EMP)-derived osteoclast precursor population. Yolk-sac macrophages of EMP origin produced neonatal osteoclasts that can create a space for postnatal bone marrow haematopoiesis. Furthermore, EMPs gave rise to long-lasting osteoclast precursors that contributed to postnatal bone remodelling in both physiological and pathological settings. Our single-cell RNA-sequencing data showed that EMP-derived osteoclast precursors arose independently of the haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) lineage and the data from fate tracking of EMP and HSC lineages indicated the possibility of cell–cell fusion between these two lineages. Cx3cr1⁺ yolk-sac macrophage descendants resided in the adult spleen, and parabiosis experiments showed that these cells migrated through the bloodstream to the remodelled bone after injury.