what does australopithecus afarensis mean

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What does the word Australopithecus afarensis mean?

Australopithecus afarensis in American English (əfɑːˈrensɪs) noun. 1. an extinct species of early hominid whose fossil remains were discovered in Ethiopia and have been dated at between 3.5 and 4 million years of age.

What is the meaning of the name Australopithecus?

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, and southern Africa.

What does Australopithecus mean in Greek?

Australopithecus is the genus or group name. It is derived from the Latin word 'australo' meaning 'southern' and the Greek word 'pithecus' meaning 'ape'.

What is meant by Australopithecus africanus?

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.

What are Australopithecus known for?

Au. afarensis belongs to the genus Australopithecus, a group of small-bodied and small-brained early hominin species (human relatives) that were capable of upright walking but not well adapted for travelling long distances on the ground.

What species was Lucy?

Australopithecus afarensisLucy / Organism"Lucy" is the nickname given to the Australopithecus afarensis skeleton fossils discovered in East Africa in 1974.

Is Australopithecus a human ancestor?

Dart (1925) concluded that the specimen, now widely known as the Taung child, was an extinct human ancestor, and he assigned it the name Australopithecus africanus, meaning “southern ape of Africa.”

When was the first human ancestor?

Ardipithicines. Ardipithecus is the earliest known genus of the human lineage and the likely ancestor of Australopithecus, a group closely related to and often considered ancestral to modern human beings. Ardipithecus lived between 5.8 million and 4.4 million years ago.

What is meant by Australopithecus Why are the earliest human called so?

The name Australopithecus africanus literally means 'southern ape of Africa. ' It was named for the fact that it lived in modern-day South Africa. It was the first of many hominid species to be discovered on the African continent. While not immediately accepted as part of the human family tree, A.

What is the human species called?

Homo sapiensThe species that you and all other living human beings on this planet belong to is Homo sapiens. During a time of dramatic climate change 300,000 years ago, Homo sapiens evolved in Africa.

What are 2 characteristics of Australopithecus?

Australopithecines (plural of Australopithecus) were short and stocky with apelike features such as long arms, thick waistlines and chimpanzee-like faces. They had short and stocky apelike bodies, and brains closer in size to a chimpanzee than a modern human. Males were about 1.37 meters tall and females 1.14 meters.

Why did Australopithecus go extinct?

All the australopithids went extinct by about 1 million years ago, about 3 million years after they first appeared. Habitats may have vanished as a result of global climate cooling -- or the australopithids may have been pressed to extinction by the growing populations of early humans.

When was Australopithecus afarensis discovered?

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. From 1972 to 1977, the International Afar Research Expedition—led by anthropologists ...

What is the jawbone of A. afarensis?

A. afarensis had a tall face, a delicate brow ridge, and prognathism (the jaw jutted outwards). The jawbone was quite robust, similar to that of gorillas. The living size of A. afarensis is debated, with arguments for and against marked size differences between males and females.

What is the oldest African ape?

For a long time, A. afarensis was the oldest known African great ape until the 1994 description of the 4.4 million year old Ardipithecus ramidus, and a few earlier or contemporary taxa have been described since, including the 4 million year old A. anamensis in 1995, the 3.5 million year old Kenyanthropus platyops in 2001, the 6 million year old Orrorin tugenensis in 2001, and the 7–6 million year old Sahelanthropus tchadensis in 2002. Bipedalism was once thought to have evolved in australopithecines, but it is now thought to have begun evolving much earlier in habitually arboreal primates. The earliest claimed date for the beginnings of an upright spine and a primarily vertical body plan is 21.6 million years ago in the Early Miocene with Morotopithecus bishopi.

How big is the Laetoli fossil?

For the five makers of the Laetoli fossil trackways (S1, S2, G1, G2, and G3), based on the relationship between footprint length and bodily dimensions in modern humans, S1 was estimated to have been considerably large at about 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall and 45 kg (99 lb) in weight, S 2 145 cm (4 ft 9 in) and 39.5 kg (87 lb), G1 114 cm (3 ft 9 in) and 30 kg (66 lb), G2 142 cm (4 ft 8 in) and 39 kg (86 lb), and G3 132 cm (4 ft 4 in) and 35 kg (77 lb). Based on these, S1 is interpreted to have been a male, and the rest females (G1 and G3 possibly juveniles), with A. afarensis being a highly dimorphic species.

How does A. afarensis measure body size?

In 1991, American anthropologist Henry McHenry estimated body size by measuring the joint sizes of the leg bones and scaling down a human to meet that size.

Where were hominin bones found?

Beginning in the 1930s, some of the most ancient hominin remains of the time dating to 3.8–2.9 million years ago were recovered from East Africa. Because Australopithecus africanus fossils were commonly being discovered throughout the 1920s and 40s in South Africa, these remains were provisionally classified as Australopithecus aff. africanus. In 1948, German palaeontologist Edwin Hennig proposed classifying these remains into a new genus, " Praeanthropus ", but he failed to give a species name. In 1950, German anthropologist Hans Weinhert proposed classifying a jawbone from the headwaters of the Gerusi River (near Laetoli) as Meganthropus africanus, but this was largely ignored. In 1955, M.S. Şenyürek proposed the combination Praeanthropus africanus. Major collections were made in Laetoli, Tanzania, on an expedition beginning in 1974 directed by British palaeoanthropologist Mary Leakey, and in Hadar, Ethiopia, from 1972 to 1977 by the International Afar Research Expedition (IARE) formed by French geologist Maurice Taieb, American palaeoanthropologist Donald Johanson, and Breton anthropologist Yves Coppens. These fossils were remarkably well-preserved and many had associated skeletal aspects. In 1973, the IARE team unearthed the first knee joint, AL 129-1, and showed the earliest example at the time of bipedalism. In 1974, Johanson and graduate student Tom Gray discovered the extremely well-preserved skeleton AL 288–1, commonly referred to as " Lucy " (named after The Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds which was playing on their tape recorder that evening). In 1975, the IARE recovered 216 specimens belonging to 13 individuals, AL 333 "the First Family" (though the individuals were not necessarily related). In 1976, Leakey and colleagues discovered fossil trackways, and preliminarily classified Laetoli remains into Homo spp., attributing Australopithecus -like traits as evidence of them being transitional fossils.

What are the crests of a chimp similar to?

The crests are similar to those of chimps and female gorillas. Compared to earlier hominins, the incisors of A. afarensis are reduced in breadth, the canines reduced in size and lost the honing mechanism which continually sharpens them, the premolars are molar -shaped, and the molars are taller.

When was Australopithecus afarensis discovered?from en.wikipedia.org

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. From 1972 to 1977, the International Afar Research Expedition—led by anthropologists ...

What is the skeleton of an A. afarensis?from en.wikipedia.org

Like other australopiths, the A. afarensis skeleton exhibits a mosaic anatomy with some aspects similar to modern humans and others to non-human great apes. The pelvis and leg bones clearly indicate weight-bearing ability, equating to habitual bipedal, but the upper limbs are reminiscent of orangutans, which would indicate arboreal locomotion. However, this is much debated, as tree-climbing adaptations could simply be basal traits inherited from the great ape last common ancestor in the absence of major selective pressures at this stage to adopt a more humanlike arm anatomy.

What is the oldest African ape?from en.wikipedia.org

For a long time, A. afarensis was the oldest known African great ape until the 1994 description of the 4.4 million year old Ardipithecus ramidus, and a few earlier or contemporary taxa have been described since, including the 4 million year old A. anamensis in 1995, the 3.5 million year old Kenyanthropus platyops in 2001, the 6 million year old Orrorin tugenensis in 2001, and the 7–6 million year old Sahelanthropus tchadensis in 2002. Bipedalism was once thought to have evolved in australopithecines, but it is now thought to have begun evolving much earlier in habitually arboreal primates. The earliest claimed date for the beginnings of an upright spine and a primarily vertical body plan is 21.6 million years ago in the Early Miocene with Morotopithecus bishopi.

How big is the Laetoli fossil?from en.wikipedia.org

For the five makers of the Laetoli fossil trackways (S1, S2, G1, G2, and G3), based on the relationship between footprint length and bodily dimensions in modern humans, S1 was estimated to have been considerably large at about 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall and 45 kg (99 lb) in weight, S 2 145 cm (4 ft 9 in) and 39.5 kg (87 lb), G1 114 cm (3 ft 9 in) and 30 kg (66 lb), G2 142 cm (4 ft 8 in) and 39 kg (86 lb), and G3 132 cm (4 ft 4 in) and 35 kg (77 lb). Based on these, S1 is interpreted to have been a male, and the rest females (G1 and G3 possibly juveniles), with A. afarensis being a highly dimorphic species.

How does A. afarensis measure body size?from en.wikipedia.org

In 1991, American anthropologist Henry McHenry estimated body size by measuring the joint sizes of the leg bones and scaling down a human to meet that size.

What are some examples of afarensis?from definitions.net

Examples of afarensis in a Sentence. Yohannes Haile-Selassie: The new species is yet another confirmation that Lucy's species, Australopithecus afarensis, was not the only potential human ancestor species that roamed in what is now the Afar region of Ethiopia during the middle Pliocene, current fossil evidence from the Woranso-Mille study area ...

Where were hominin bones found?from en.wikipedia.org

Beginning in the 1930s, some of the most ancient hominin remains of the time dating to 3.8–2.9 million years ago were recovered from East Africa. Because Australopithecus africanus fossils were commonly being discovered throughout the 1920s and 40s in South Africa, these remains were provisionally classified as Australopithecus aff. africanus. In 1948, German palaeontologist Edwin Hennig proposed classifying these remains into a new genus, " Praeanthropus ", but he failed to give a species name. In 1950, German anthropologist Hans Weinhert proposed classifying a jawbone from the headwaters of the Gerusi River (near Laetoli) as Meganthropus africanus, but this was largely ignored. In 1955, M.S. Şenyürek proposed the combination Praeanthropus africanus. Major collections were made in Laetoli, Tanzania, on an expedition beginning in 1974 directed by British palaeoanthropologist Mary Leakey, and in Hadar, Ethiopia, from 1972 to 1977 by the International Afar Research Expedition (IARE) formed by French geologist Maurice Taieb, American palaeoanthropologist Donald Johanson, and Breton anthropologist Yves Coppens. These fossils were remarkably well-preserved and many had associated skeletal aspects. In 1973, the IARE team unearthed the first knee joint, AL 129-1, and showed the earliest example at the time of bipedalism. In 1974, Johanson and graduate student Tom Gray discovered the extremely well-preserved skeleton AL 288–1, commonly referred to as " Lucy " (named after The Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds which was playing on their tape recorder that evening). In 1975, the IARE recovered 216 specimens belonging to 13 individuals, AL 333 "the First Family" (though the individuals were not necessarily related). In 1976, Leakey and colleagues discovered fossil trackways, and preliminarily classified Laetoli remains into Homo spp., attributing Australopithecus -like traits as evidence of them being transitional fossils.

Where were the fossils of A. afarensis found?

The fossils date to 3.5 to 3.3 million years old and were discovered in Woranso-Mille in Ethiopia, close to sites of a similar age that produced A. afarensis specimens. If correct, A. afarensis was not the only hominin around in east Africa at this time.

What are some cranial features that are ape-like?

many cranial features were quite ape-like, including a low, sloping forehead, a projecting face, and prominent brow ridges above the eyes.

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.

Where did the Afar Depression occur?

The word afarensis is based on the location where some of the first fossils for this species were discovered – the Afar Depression in Ethiopia, Africa. Key fossil discoveries. During the 1970s, two fossil hunting teams began uncovering evidence of ancient human ancestors in east Africa.

When was Ardipithecus ramidus discovered?

Today, technology, rather than biology, has become the key to our survival as a species. Discover more. Ardipithecus ramidus. Discovered in the 1990s, this is one of the earliest of our hominin ancestors yet discovered.

Which premolar teeth have cusps?

premolar teeth in the lower jaw had ape-like cusps (bumps on the chewing surface). The front premolar tended to have one large cusp (ape-like) rather than two equal-sized cusps as in humans.

Is Praeanthropus afarensis a species?

The names Praeanthropus africanus and Praeanthropus afarensis have been suggested as alternatives by researchers who believe this species does not belong in the genus Australopithecus.

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, ...

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), ...

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 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.

Is the snout a prognathic bone?

The snout is prognathic. The teeth have thick enamel, like the teeth of all later hominins but unlike those of Ar. ramidus, which have apelike thin enamel. The tibia (shinbone) exhibits anatomy at both the knee and ankle ends characteristic of later bipedal hominins.

Where are hominid fossils found?

In contrast, remains older than six million years are widely regarded to be those of fossil apes. hominid fossil sites in sub-Saharan Africa. A selection of locations in sub-Saharan Africa where hominid fossils have been found. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Overview

Taxonomy

Anatomy

Palaeobiology

Palaeoecology

See also

Further reading

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