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australopithecines
australopithecines Literally, ‘southern apes’, early members of the human lineage that lived from about 4 to about 1 million years ago in Africa. The so-called ‘robust australopithecines’ are nowadays placed in a separate genus, Paranthropus. The other (‘gracile’) australopithecines are also a very diverse group of species, some very primitive and perhaps ancestral to all later hominins, others probably specialized sidelines. The species usually recognized are Australopithecus anamensis (3.9–4.1 million years BP) and A. afarensis (3.75–3.0 million years BP) from East Africa, A. bahrelghazali (about 3.4–3.0 million years BP) from West Africa, and A. africanus (about 3.0–2.4 million years BP) from South Africa. Probably some of these species should be placed in different genera.
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Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "australopithecines." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "australopithecines." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-australopithecines.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "australopithecines." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-australopithecines.html |
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australopithecines
australopithecines Literally, ‘southern apes’, early members of the human lineage that lived from about 4 to about 1 million years ago in Africa. The so-called ‘robust australopithecines’ are nowadays placed in a separate genus, Paranthropus. The other (‘gracile’) australopithecines are also a very diverse group of species, some very primitive and perhaps ancestral to all later hominids, others probably specialized sidelines. The species usually recognized are Australopithecus anamensis (3.9–4.1 million years BP) and A. afarensis (3.75–3.0 million years BP) from E. Africa, A. bahrelghazali (about 3.4–3.0 million years BP) from W. Africa, and A. africanus (about 3.0–2.4 million years BP) from S. Africa. Probably some of these species should be placed in different genera.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "australopithecines." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "australopithecines." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-australopithecines.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "australopithecines." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-australopithecines.html |
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australopithecines
australopithecines See EARLY HUMANS.
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Cite this article
"australopithecines." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "australopithecines." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-australopithecines.html "australopithecines." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-australopithecines.html |
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