australopithecines
Early African ancestors
Australopithecines are extinct primates from the genus Australopithecus, considered among the earliest human ancestors.
They walked upright but had small brains and ape-like features.
Fossils dating back several million years have been found primarily in eastern and southern Africa, including the famous "Lucy" skeleton.
The term covers various species that bridge the evolutionary gap between apes and humans.
Feminine name meaning light
- excavationAct of unearthing
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- radiometric datingAge measurement via atomic decay
sediment · fossilization · reconstruction · skeletal remains · cranium · femur · pelvis · fragmentary
Slender and fine-boned
- robustStrong and durable
- homininHuman or direct ancestor
- hominidBipedal primate family
- bipedalHaving two feet
bipedalism · cranial capacity · dentition · enamel · mandible · morphology
- missing linkUndiscovered ancestral connection
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- descentDownward slope or lineage
- speciationFormation of distinct species
adaptation · natural selection · arboreal · terrestrial · divergence · evolutionary tree · common ancestor
Tectonic triple junction region
- Great Rift ValleyTectonic depression spanning continents
- EthiopiaHorn of Africa nation
- TanzaniaDodoma-capital nation
- KenyaEast African country, capital Nairobi
South Africa · savanna · woodland · paleoecology · Pliocene · Pleistocene · Miocene
Renowned fossil-hunting clan
- paleoanthropologyScience of ancestral human remains
- anthropologyStudy of human cultures
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
- cladisticsClassification by common descent
Lucy
Feminine name meaning light
- excavationAct of unearthing
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
radiometric dating · sediment · fossilization · reconstruction · skeletal remains · cranium · femur · pelvis · fragmentary · articulated
gracile
Slender and fine-boned
bipedal · bipedalism · cranial capacity · dentition · enamel · mandible · morphology
human ancestor
- missing linkUndiscovered ancestral connection
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- descentDownward slope or lineage
speciation · adaptation · natural selection · arboreal · terrestrial · divergence · evolutionary tree · common ancestor
Afar Triangle
Tectonic triple junction region
- Great Rift ValleyTectonic depression spanning continents
- EthiopiaHorn of Africa nation
- TanzaniaDodoma-capital nation
Kenya · South Africa · savanna · woodland · paleoecology · Pliocene · Pleistocene · Miocene
Leakey
Renowned fossil-hunting clan
- paleoanthropologyScience of ancestral human remains
- anthropologyStudy of human cultures
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
cladistics · phylogeny · taxonomy · stone tools · comparative anatomy
australopithecineshumans
Homo sapiens members
modern humans · Homo sapiens · humanity · mankind · people