Australopithecus

Ancient African hominin

Australopithecus is an extinct genus of early human ancestors that lived in Africa roughly two to four million years ago.

The name means "southern ape," reflecting where the first fossils were discovered.

These primates walked upright but had small brains compared to later humans.

Australopithecus afarensis, the species of the famous fossil "Lucy," is the best known: The Australopithecus skeleton provided crucial evidence for bipedal locomotion.

fossils

Lucy

Feminine name meaning light

skeletonInternal supportive framework
craniumSkull bone structure
mandibleLower facial bone

teeth · femur · pelvis · excavation · specimen · remains · fossilized bones · skull fragments · paleontology · discovery

taxonomy

hominid

Bipedal primate family

homininHuman or direct ancestor
primateHigher mammal order member
genusTaxonomic rank above species

species · ancestor · Ardipithecus · Homo · fossil record · clade · phylogeny · great apes · classification

anatomy

bipedalism

Walking on two limbs

opposable thumbDigit that meets fingertips
curved fingersFlexed phalanges, not straight
tree climbingAscending woody plants

upright posture · cranial capacity · brow ridge · flat nose

sites

Afar Triangle

Tectonic triple junction region

East AfricaContinental region by Indian Ocean
South AfricaRainbow nation
Rift ValleyElongated lowland from faulting

Ethiopia · Tanzania · Kenya · Chad · excavation site · volcanic ash · stratigraphy · geological formation

evolution

missing link

Undiscovered ancestral connection

human originsStudy of mankind's emergence
common ancestorOrigin point of descendants
adaptationFitting to new conditions

speciation · extinction · natural selection · brain development · tool use · climate change · Pliocene · Pleistocene · divergence · survival strategy

Australopithecus

Lucy

hominid

bipedalism

Afar Triangle

missing link

Australopithecus

Opposites

Categories

Family