Australopithecus
/ˌɔːstrələˈpɪθɪkəs/
noun
Origin
Latin/Greek
australis + pithecus — Southern ape
Overview
Meaning Now
- A genus of extinct hominins that lived in Africa between approximately 4 and 2 million years ago, known for their bipedal locomotion.
- A member of this genus.
Literal older meaning
Southern ape
Language path
Latin → Modern Scientific Latin
Earliest form
Australopithecus
Earliest period
1925
Journey
The term was introduced by the anatomist Raymond Dart after he identified the Taung Child fossil in South Africa. The discovery was controversial at the time because many researchers believed human ancestors would be found in Europe or Asia with large brains, rather than in Africa with small brains.
Evolution
- 1925
Australopithecus
“Southern ape”
Coined by Raymond Dart to classify the Taung Child fossil.
Connections
Word parts
austral-
root
southern
-o-
other
connecting vowel
-pithecus
root
ape
Related across languages
Ancient Greek
pithēkos
ape
Latin
australis
southern
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Related to Australopithecus
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.