Paranthropus

American  

[puh-ran-thruh-puhs, par-uhn-throh-puhs] / pəˈræn θrə pəs, ˌpær ənˈθroʊ pəs /

noun

1. an extinct genus of bipedal hominins with massive chewing muscles, large teeth, and thick dental enamel: it may have descended from Australopithecus in Africa about 2.7 million years ago.

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Etymology

Origin of Paranthropus

First recorded in 1935–40; from New Latin: literally “beside man, near man”; equivalent to Greek para- “beside, near” + Greek ánthrōpos “human being”; see para-

Example Sentences

In 2026, a University of Chicago led team reported a 2.6 million year old Paranthropus jaw from Ethiopia's Afar region.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2026

The Afar fossil challenges that assumption, indicating that from its earliest stages, Paranthropus was both adaptable and capable of exploiting a wider range of food sources.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

It ranks among the oldest Paranthropus specimens ever discovered.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

The evidence shows that Paranthropus was not only widespread but also capable of thriving alongside early members of Homo, rather than being quickly displaced by them.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

Paranthropus boisei, however, went extinct within the next few hundred thousand years.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2024