Facts about Australopithecus
Australopithecus is sometimes referred to as the gracile (slender) australopithecines.
The brains of most species of Australopithecus were roughly 35 percent of the size of that of a modern human brain.
Australopithecus (from Latin australis, meaning "of the south," and Greek pithekos, meaning "ape") is a group of extinct hominids that are closely related to modern humans.
According to Mayr (2001), the fossil record reveals that Australopithecus remained essentially unchanged throughout their long history.
The fossil record suggests that Australopithecus could be the common ancestor of the genus Homo, which includes modern humans.
Australopithecus species were bipedal, although it is speculated that they lived mostly arboreally, that is, mainly in trees; the length of their arms was larger than modern humans (Mayr 2001).
In 1924, the first fossil hominid, Australopithecus africanus, was discovered in Africa.
The fossil record seems to indicate that Australopithecus (the gracile australopithecines) is the common ancestor of the Paranthropus group (the "robust australopithecines").
The morphology of Australopithecus upsets what scientists previously believed, namely, that large brains preceded bipedalism.
Such a step-by-step process can also be seen in the precursors to humans, such as early "ape-man," Australopithecus.
Most species of Australopithecus are considered to not have been any more adept at tool use than modern non-human primates.
According to Mayr (2001), the fossil record reveals that Australopithecus remained essentially unchanged throughout their long history.
Most species of Australopithecus were diminutive and gracile, usually standing no more than 1.2 to 1.4 m (approx.
Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus africanus are among the most famous of the extinct hominids.