Full Answer
How long did Australopithecus live?
The various species of Australopithecus lived 4.4 million to 1.4 million years ago (mya), during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (which lasted from 5.3 million to 11,700 years ago). The genus name, meaning “southern ape,” refers to the first fossils found, which were discovered in South Africa. Where are Lucy’s bones?
What is Australopithecus afarensis?
Australopithecus afarensis. Australopithecus afarensis is one of the longest-lived and best-known early human species—paleoanthropologists have uncovered remains from more than 300 individuals! Found between 3.85 and 2.95 million years ago in Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania), this species survived for more than 900,000 years,...
How many Australopithecus africanus fossils were found in South Africa?
Since then, many hundreds of Australopithecus africanus fossils have been found in South Africa. Sts 14: a partial skeleton discovered in1947 by Robert Broom and John Robinson in Sterkfontein, South Africa.
Did Australopithecus africanus walk upright?
These vertebrate from the spine of an Australopithecus africanus individual show it walked upright in a way very similar to modern humans. The uniquely human curve of your lower back absorbs shock when you walk. This early human's spine had the same curve.
Where was Australopithecus africanus found?
Why is the skull called Mrs Ples?
What does the word "Africanus" mean?
What does Australopithecus mean?
How old is Sts 71?
How long ago did the sailor live?
Why was the ape first rejected from the family tree?
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How did Australopithecus africanus survive?
They also had small canine teeth like all other early humans, and a body that stood on two legs and regularly walked upright. Their adaptations for living both in the trees and on the ground helped them survive for almost a million years as climate and environments changed.
What environment did Australopithecus africanus live in?
Over 2.5 million years ago, this species occupied an environment in South Africa in which there was a mixture of woodland and savannah grassland. After 2.5 million years ago, the climate became drier and savannah grasslands spread.
When did Australopithecus africanus live?
Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, living between 3 and 2 million years ago - in the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene. It shared with its older Australopithecus afarensis a slender build.
What is unique about Australopithecus africanus?
africanus had a rounder cranium housing a larger brain and smaller teeth, but it also had some ape-like features including relatively long arms and a strongly sloping face that juts out from underneath the braincase with a pronounced jaw.
What kind of shelter did Australopithecus live in?
Answer and Explanation: Australopithecus used trees and fallen trees for shelter, using what nature offered them. They were adaptable hominids and were able to live on the ground or in the trees depending on their environment.
Did Australopithecus sleep in trees?
Australopithecus also probably climbed trees at night, though not to hunt. As the sun set on the savanna, family units or larger social groups would have avoided predators by climbing into trees at night to sleep.
Did Australopithecus live in caves?
Unlike the East African discoveries, all the southern gracile australopithecines were found in caves, but these hominids were probably not cave-dwellers.
Are Australopithecus still alive?
Australopithecus afarensis is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived from about 3.9–2.9 million years ago (mya) in the Pliocene of East Africa. The first fossils were discovered in the 1930s, but major fossil finds would not take place until the 1970s.
What was the last human species to go extinct?
neanderthalensis, the last human species to go extinct.
What are 3 facts about Australopithecus?
They were similar to modern humans in that they were bipedal (that is, they walked on two legs), but, like apes, they had small brains. Their canine teeth were smaller than those found in apes, and their cheek teeth were larger than those of modern humans.
What are 2 facts about Australopithecus?
Australopithecus afarensis factsLived: 3.7 million to three million years ago.Where: East Africa.Appearance: a projecting face, an upright stance and a mixture of ape-like and human-like body features.Brain size: about 385-550cm3Height: about 1-1.7m (females were much shorter than males)More items...
What adaptations did Australopithecus have?
Fossils show this species was bipedal (able to walk on two legs) but still retained many ape-like features including adaptations for tree climbing, a small brain, and a long jaw. many cranial features were quite ape-like, including a low, sloping forehead, a projecting face, and prominent brow ridges above the eyes.
Where in the world did Australopithecus live?
Where did Australopithecus afarensis live? Au. afarensis fossils have been unearthed in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. Map showing sites in Tanzania and Ethiopia where Australopithecus afarensis fossils have been found at Laetoli, Omo, Hadar, Woranso-Mille and Dikika.
Did Australopithecus afarensis live in caves?
Australopithecus afarensis is associated with numerous outdoor habitats, such as grassy or woody areas, rather than caves. They may have sought shelter or in some cases even have lived in caves.
What environment did hominids live in?
Insofar as habitats have been (or can be) discerned from evidence found with the Pliocene hominin species, hominins inhabited a variety of biomes in eastern, central, and southern Africa. In central Ethiopia, Ar. ramidus is associated with faunal and floral remains indicating a woodland habitat.
Where can Australopithecus be found?
The oldest and most primitive australopiths are found in eastern Africa, particularly Ethiopia and Kenya, with more derived australopiths appearing later in South Africa.
Australopithecus africanus - Wikipedia
Australopithecus africanus is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived between about 3.3 and 2.1 million years ago in the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of South Africa. The species has been recovered from Taung, Sterkfontein, Makapansgat, and Gladysvale.The first specimen, the Taung child, was described by anatomist Raymond Dart in 1924, and was the first early hominin found.
Australopithecus africanus | The Smithsonian Institution's Human ...
History of Discovery: The Taung child, found in 1924, was the first to establish that early fossil humans occurred in Africa. After Prof. Raymond Dart described it and named the species Australopithecus africanus (meaning southern ape of Africa), it took more than 20 years for the scientific community to widely accept Australopithecus as a member of the human family tree.
Australopithecus - Australopithecus africanus | Britannica
In 1925 South African anthropologist Raymond Dart coined the genus name Australopithecus to identify a child’s skull recovered from mining operations at Taung in South Africa. He called it Australopithecus africanus, meaning “southern ape of Africa.” From then until 1960 almost all that was known about australopiths came from limestone caves in South Africa.
Where was Australopithecus africanus found?
Since then, many hundreds of Australopithecus africanus fossils have been found in South Africa. Sts 14: a partial skeleton discovered in1947 by Robert Broom and John Robinson in Sterkfontein, South Africa. The shape of this pelvis proved Australopithecus africanus was able to walk upright on two legs.
Why is the skull called Mrs Ples?
The skull was nicknamed ‘Mrs Ples’ because it was originally considered to be an adult female from the genus Plesianthropus. Later, it was decided that the skull was actually an Australopithecus africanus individual and there is also some debate about whether this skull was that of a female or male. Malapa hominins.
What does the word "Africanus" mean?
The word africanus is a Latinised form of the word ‘Africa’ and indicates the continent where this species was found . Relationships with other species. Australopithecus africanus was once considered to be a direct ancestor of modern humans but new finds have challenged this position.
What does Australopithecus mean?
Australopithecus, means ‘southern ape’. It is based on ‘australo’, a Latin word meaning ‘southern’ and ‘pithecus’, a Greek word meaning ‘ape’. The name was originally created just for this species found in South Africa but several closely related species now share the same genus name.
How old is Sts 71?
We know this individual was a young child because its first molar teeth were in the process of erupting from the jaw. Sts 71: a 2.5 million-year-old partial skull discovered in1947 by Robert Broom and John Robinson in Sterkfontein, South Africa. The robust features of this skull indicate it was an adult male.
How long ago did the sailor live?
Age. This species lived between 3.2 and 2 million years ago . Important fossil discoveries. In 1924, a fossil was rescued from a limestone quarry at Taung in South Africa and sent to Australian, Raymond Dart who was a Professor of Anatomy in nearby Johannesburg.
Why was the ape first rejected from the family tree?
This species was the first of our pre-human ancestors to be discovered, but was initially rejected from our family tree because of its small brain. This opinion changed when new evidence showed this species had many features intermediate between apes and humans.
What are the characteristics of an A. africanus?
It is unclear if this means australopiths were still arboreal to a degree, or if these traits were simply inherited from the human–chimp last common ancestor. Nonetheless, A. africanus exhibits a more ape-like upper limb anatomy than A. afarensis, and is typically interpreted as having been, to some extent, arboreal. Like in arboreal primates, the fingers are curved, the arms relatively long and the shoulders are in a shrugging position. The A. africanus shoulder is most like that of orangutans, and well suited for maintaining stability and bearing weight while raised and placed overhead. However, the right clavicle of StW 573 has a distinctly S-shaped (sigmoid) curve like humans, which indicates a humanlike moment arm for stabilising the shoulder girdle against the humerus. The A. africanus arm bones are consistent with powerful muscles useful in climbing. Nonetheless, the brachial index (the forearm to humerus ratio) is 82.8–86.2 (midway between chimps and humans), which indicates a reduction in forearm length from the more ancient hominin Ardipithecus ramidus. The thumb and wrist indicate humanlike functionality with a precision grip and forceful opposition between the thumb and fingers. The adoption of such a grip is typically interpreted as an adaptation for tool making at the expense of efficient climbing and arboreal habitation.
What is the new genus of Great Apes?
Dart, after hastily freeing the fossil from its matrix, already in January 1925 named the specimen as a new genus and species: Australopithecus africanus. At this time, great apes were classified into the family Pongidae encompassing all non-human fossil apes, and Hominidae encompassing humans and ancestors.
How much brain size does A. africanus have?
If correct, this would indicate that A. africanus was born with about 38% of its total brain size, which is more similar to non-human great apes at 40% than humans at 30%. The inner ear has wide semicircular canals like non-human apes, as well as loose turns at the terminal end of the cochlea like humans.
What traits did A. africanus have?
africanus also had several upper body traits in common with arboreal non-human apes. This is variously interpreted as either evidence of a partially or fully arboreal lifestyle, or as a non-functional vestige from a more apelike ancestor.
When was the Australopithecus fossil discovered?
At the time, these remains were dated to 3.3 million years ago in the Late Pliocene. In 2019, Clarke and South African palaeoanthropologist Kathleen Kuman redated StW 573 to 3.67 million years ago, making it the oldest Australopithecus specimen from South Africa. They considered its antiquity further evidence of species distinction, ...
What is the upper body of A. africanus?
The upper body of A. africanus is more apelike than that of the East African A. afarensis . A. africanus, unlike most other primates, seems to have exploited C4 foods such as grasses, seeds, rhizomes, underground storage organs, or potentially creatures higher up on the food chain.
When did Australopithecus prometheus live?
Australopithecus prometheus? Australopithecus africanus is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived from 3.67 to 2 million years ago in the Middle Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of South Africa.
What are the traits of Australopithecus?
As characterized by the fossil evidence, members of Australopithecus bore a combination of humanlike and apelike traits. They were similar to modern humans in that they were bipedal (that is, they walked on two legs), but, like apes, they had small brains. Their canine teeth were smaller than those found in apes, ...
Why is it so hard to identify the earliest member of the Hominini tribe?
Identifying the earliest member of the human tribe ( Hominini) is difficult because the predecessors of modern humans become increasingly apelike as the fossil record is followed back through time.
What are some examples of humanlike traits?
For example, the purported earliest species, Sahelanthropus tchadensis, is humanlike in having a slightly reduced canine tooth and a face that does not project forward very far.
Where did bipedalism originate?
Bipedalism, however, appears to have been established in the six-million-year-old Orrorin tugenensis, a pre- Australopithecus found in the Tugen Hills near Lake Baringo in central Kenya. In 2001 these fossils were described as the earliest known hominin. O. tugenensis is primitive in most if not all of its anatomy, except for femurs (thighbones) that appear to share traits of bipedalism with modern humans. Like later hominins, it has teeth with thick molar enamel, but, unlike humans, it has distinctively apelike canine and premolar teeth. The case for its hominin status rests on the humanlike features of the femur. According to its discoverers, features of the thighbone implying bipedalism include its overall proportions, the internal structure of the femoral neck (the column joining the ball-shaped head of the femur to the shaft of the bone), and a groove on the bone for a muscle used in upright walking (the obturator externus).
What is the name of the group of extinct primates closely related to, if not actually ancestors?
Learn about the discovery of the Australopithecus genus. Learn about the Australopithecus genus. Australopithecus, (Latin: “southern ape”) (genus Australopithecus ), group of extinct primates closely related to, if not actually ancestors of, modern human beings and known from a series of fossils found at numerous sites in eastern, north-central, ...
What is the most famous specimen of Australopithecus?
Perhaps the most famous specimen of Australopithecus is “ Lucy ,” a remarkably preserved fossilized skeleton from Ethiopia that has been dated to 3.2 mya. Australopithecus afarensis. Artist's rendering of Australopithecus afarensis, which lived from 3.8 to 2.9 million years ago. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
What is the name of the genus of australopithecines?
Australopithecines include the genus Paranthropus (2.3–1.2 mya), which comprises three species of australopiths—collectively called the “robusts” because of their very large cheek teeth set in massive jaws. Non-australopithecine members of the human lineage ( hominins) include Sahelanthropus tchadensis (7–6 mya), Orrorin tugenensis (6 mya), ...
What was the first hominin fossil?
Australopithecus africanus was the first fossil hominin discovered in Africa. In 1924, Raymond Dart (see his biographical sketch this chapter) identified the face, mandible, and endocast as being that of a juvenile bipedal ape (see Figure 15.1). Eugène Dubois’s discovery of the Javanese Homo erectus fossils in 1891 refuted the reigning belief that “we got smart before we stood up.” Once Dart’s claims were accepted, the world realized the extent to which that idea was false. The small-brained Au. africanus showed that early hominins were bipedal apes as opposed to quadrupedal humans.
What is the name of the specimen that Dart found?
Dart named his find Australopithecus africanus, meaning “southern ape of Africa,” and the specimen became known as the “ Taung Child.”. Raymond Dart. “ Smithsonian Institution Archives – SIA-SIA2008-0845 ” from the Smithsonian Institution Archives is in the public domain. The Taung child was two to three years old when it died.
How many cc is Au. africanus?
africanus was not only more encephalized than past species, with a cranial capacity of 450 cc (range = 424–508 cc), but also possessed an enlarged cerebral cortex in the frontal and parietal regions (see Figure 15.5). Their encephalization quotient ( EQ) was 2.7.
How many Au. sediba are there?
The six Au. sediba individuals are thought to have possibly been attracted to the cave by water. Drimolen, a more recently discovered site, has yielded an almost complete cranium as well as material from approximately 80 individuals. A fifth site associated with the species is Gladysvale.
What type of apes were the early hominins?
The small-brained Au. africanus showed that early hominins were bipedal apes as opposed to quadrupedal humans. Unlike East African material that can be dated using a variety of techniques, primarily due to past volcanic activity, South African fossils and sites are much more difficult to date.
Where did the fossilized remains come from?
The fossilized remains came from the Taung Quarry in the process of blasting for lime. When presented with the material, Dart established that it was the face, mandible, and endocast (fossilized interior of the cranial vault) of a juvenile hominin.
Is Au. afarensis a Homo lineage?
However, some researchers have always believed that Au. afarensis was the common ancestor of both Au. africanus and the Homo lineage, suggesting a cladistic event had occurred at Au. afarensis. This schema has gained popularity in recent years.
Where was Australopithecus africanus found?
Since then, many hundreds of Australopithecus africanus fossils have been found in South Africa. Sts 14: a partial skeleton discovered in1947 by Robert Broom and John Robinson in Sterkfontein, South Africa. The shape of this pelvis proved Australopithecus africanus was able to walk upright on two legs.
Why is the skull called Mrs Ples?
The skull was nicknamed ‘Mrs Ples’ because it was originally considered to be an adult female from the genus Plesianthropus. Later, it was decided that the skull was actually an Australopithecus africanus individual and there is also some debate about whether this skull was that of a female or male. Malapa hominins.
What does the word "Africanus" mean?
The word africanus is a Latinised form of the word ‘Africa’ and indicates the continent where this species was found . Relationships with other species. Australopithecus africanus was once considered to be a direct ancestor of modern humans but new finds have challenged this position.
What does Australopithecus mean?
Australopithecus, means ‘southern ape’. It is based on ‘australo’, a Latin word meaning ‘southern’ and ‘pithecus’, a Greek word meaning ‘ape’. The name was originally created just for this species found in South Africa but several closely related species now share the same genus name.
How old is Sts 71?
We know this individual was a young child because its first molar teeth were in the process of erupting from the jaw. Sts 71: a 2.5 million-year-old partial skull discovered in1947 by Robert Broom and John Robinson in Sterkfontein, South Africa. The robust features of this skull indicate it was an adult male.
How long ago did the sailor live?
Age. This species lived between 3.2 and 2 million years ago . Important fossil discoveries. In 1924, a fossil was rescued from a limestone quarry at Taung in South Africa and sent to Australian, Raymond Dart who was a Professor of Anatomy in nearby Johannesburg.
Why was the ape first rejected from the family tree?
This species was the first of our pre-human ancestors to be discovered, but was initially rejected from our family tree because of its small brain. This opinion changed when new evidence showed this species had many features intermediate between apes and humans.
Overview
Australopithecus africanus is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived between about 3.3 and 2.1 million years ago in the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of South Africa. The species has been recovered from Taung, Sterkfontein, Makapansgat, and Gladysvale. The first specimen, the Taung child, was described by anatomist Raymond Dart in 1924, and was the first early hominin found. However, its closer relations to humans than to other apes would not become widely acc…
Research history
In 1924, Australian anatomist Professor Raymond Dart, since 1923 working in South-Africa, was informed by one of his students, Josephine Salmons, that monkey fossils (of Papio izodi) had been discovered by shotfirer M.G. de Bruyn in a limestone quarry in Taung, South Africa, operated by the Northern Lime Company. Knowing that Scottish geologist Professor Robert Burns Young was at the time carrying out excavations in the area in search of archaic human remains like Homo rhod…
Anatomy
Based on 4 specimens, the A. africanus brain volume averaged about 420–510 cc (26–31 cu in). Based on this, neonatal brain size was estimated to have been 165.5–190 cc (10.10–11.59 cu in) using trends seen in adult and neonate brain size in modern primates. If correct, this would indicate that A. africanus was born with about 38% of its total brain size, which is more similar to non-human great apes at 40% than humans at 30%. The inner ear has wide semicircular canals lik…
Palaeobiology
In 1954, Robinson proposed that A. africanus was a generalist omnivore whereas P. robustus was a specialised herbivore; and in 1981, American palaeoanthropologist Frederick E. Grine suggested that P. robustus specialised on hard foods such as nuts whereas A. africanus on softer foods such as fruits and leaves. Based on carbon isotope analyses, A. africanus had a highly variable diet which included a notable amount of C4 savanna plants such as grasses, seeds, rhizomes, un…
Palaeoecology
South African australopithecines appear to lived in an area with a wide range of habitats. At Sterkfontein, fossil wood belonging to the liana Dichapetalum cf. mombuttense was recovered. The only living member of this tree genus in South Africa is Dichapetalum cymosum, which grows in dense, humid gallery forests. In modern day, D. mombuttense only grows in the Congolian rainforests, so its pr…
See also
• African archaeology
• Australopithecus afarensis – Extinct hominid from the Pliocene of East Africa
• Australopithecus sediba – Two-million-year-old hominin from the Cradle of Humankind
• Homo ergaster – Extinct species or subspecies of archaic human
Further reading
• Broom, R.; Schepers, G. W. H. (1946). The South African Fossil Ape-men: The Australopithecinae. AMS Press. ISBN 978-0-404-15910-8.
External links
• MNSU
• Australopithecus africanus - The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program
• Handprint
• Maropeng - The Cradle of Humankind Official Website