Australopithecus Temporal range: 4.5–1.977 Ma Late Pliocene– |
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Australopithecus africanus reconstruction, San Diego Museum of Man | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Family: | Hominidae |
Subtribe: | Australopithecina |
Genus: |
†Australopithecus R.A. Dart, 1925 |
Type species | |
†Australopithecus africanus Dart, 1925 |
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Species | |
†A. africanus |
†A. africanus
†A. deyiremeda
†A. garhi
†A. sediba
Also called Paranthropus
†P. aethiopicus
†P. robustus
†P. boisei
Also called Praeanthropus
†A. afarensis
†A. anamensis
†A. bahrelghazali
Australopithecus (AW-struh-loh-PITH-i-kuhs, /ˌɒstrələˈpɪθᵻkəs, ˌɔː-, -loʊ-/; etymology Latin australis "southern", Greek πίθηκος pithekos "ape"; informal australopithecine or australopith) is an extinct genus of hominins. From paleontological and archaeological evidence, the Australopithecus genus apparently evolved in eastern Africa around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct somewhat after two million years ago. During that time, a number of australopithecine species emerged, including Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus, A. anamensis, A. bahrelghazali, A. deyiremeda (proposed), A. garhi, and A. sediba.