AustralopithecinesAustralopithecines are a genus of extinct hominids that lived in eastern Africa from about 4.2 Ma until about 1 Ma. Some believe that some of the australopithecine species are directly ancestral to humans, however others hold they are a "side-branch" of the line that led to humans, and not direct human ancestors.
There are a variety of accepted taxonomic schemes for the australopithecines, however the four most commonly accepted species are Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus robustus, and Australopithecus boisei. A. robustus and A. boisei are larger boned and more “robust” than A. afarensis and A. africanus, which are termed "gracile." The smaller gracile forms Australopithecus africanus and Australopithecus afarensis (the species which includes the famous fossil “Lucy") are typically thought to be the most closely related to humans. Studies have found that Australopithecus africanus (very similar to Australopithecus afarensis), the australopithecine species often thought to be the most closely related to humans, had a body shape more similar to modern apes than to members of the genus Homo.
Australopithecines stood about 1-1.5 m in height and had relatively small brains typically measuring between 370 and 515 cm3 (cc)--only slightly larger than the brain of a chimpanzee. The australopithecine mode of locomotion has been a point of controversy, usually centered around the shape of australopithecine pelvis and knee bones. Early studies believed the australopithecine pelvis was a clear-cut precursor to Homo with human-like bipedality, while later studies of australopithecine locomotion found it to be different from modern apes, but also very different from humans--a distinct mode of locomotion. The most common consensus is that forms of australopithecines were adapted for both tree-climbing and at least semi-upright, if not fully upright walking, having a mode of locomotion different from all extant primates, including humans and modern apes.
Web Resources On Australopithecines
Australopithecus afarensis
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus boisei
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