Australopithecus-
meaning- southern ape
time- 4.2 to 2 million years ago
brain size - 413 to 530 cc
gracile species
Australopithecus anamensis 4.2 - 3.9
Australopithecus afarensis 3.7 - 3.0
Australopithecus africanus 3.3 - 2.5
Australopithecus garhi 2.5
Australopithecus sediba 1.977
Place- South and East Africa.
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Important sites- Laetoli (footprints)
Famous specimen - Luci
physical characters-
Australopithecus are considered to be to be the ancestors of homos. They show signs of effecient bipedal motion ( increasingly in species with time). They have shorter hip bones with femur joined to the bottom, more like humans and lesser like apes. Their feet do not have opposible thumbs and resemble those of humans. However their cranial capacity is closer to apes ( falling within the range of modern great apes). Foranum magnum was at the bottom of the skull rather than back. Their hands were human like and made for gripping.
They stood 1.2 to 1.4 m tall and weighed 30 to 40 kgs.
Special charateristics-
Absence of Saggital crest. The teeth of africanus were in some ways more like humans than like afarensis. Specifically, the front teeth of africanus were relatively large like ours and their canine teeth did not project beyond the others. Microscopic wear patterns on africanus teeth suggest a diet consisting of relatively soft foods, which very likely included some meat along with plants. Conical rib cages like apes (cylindrical for humans) which were less marked at the bottom.
Though having same brain size as great apes, they have more developed cerebral cortex.
more links-
http://evoanth.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/australopithecus-sediba-human-by-accident/
http://anthro.palomar.edu/hominid/australo_2.htm
meaning- southern ape
time- 4.2 to 2 million years ago
brain size - 413 to 530 cc
gracile species
Australopithecus anamensis 4.2 - 3.9
Australopithecus afarensis 3.7 - 3.0
Australopithecus africanus 3.3 - 2.5
Australopithecus garhi 2.5
Australopithecus sediba 1.977
Place- South and East Africa.
Important sites- Laetoli (footprints)
Famous specimen - Luci
physical characters-
Australopithecus are considered to be to be the ancestors of homos. They show signs of effecient bipedal motion ( increasingly in species with time). They have shorter hip bones with femur joined to the bottom, more like humans and lesser like apes. Their feet do not have opposible thumbs and resemble those of humans. However their cranial capacity is closer to apes ( falling within the range of modern great apes). Foranum magnum was at the bottom of the skull rather than back. Their hands were human like and made for gripping.
They stood 1.2 to 1.4 m tall and weighed 30 to 40 kgs.
Special charateristics-
Absence of Saggital crest. The teeth of africanus were in some ways more like humans than like afarensis. Specifically, the front teeth of africanus were relatively large like ours and their canine teeth did not project beyond the others. Microscopic wear patterns on africanus teeth suggest a diet consisting of relatively soft foods, which very likely included some meat along with plants. Conical rib cages like apes (cylindrical for humans) which were less marked at the bottom.
Though having same brain size as great apes, they have more developed cerebral cortex.
http://evoanth.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/australopithecus-sediba-human-by-accident/
http://anthro.palomar.edu/hominid/australo_2.htm
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