Australopithecus afarensis

American  

[aw-strey-loh-pith-i-kuhs uh-fah-ren-sis, -puh-thee-kuhs, aw-struh-loh-] / ɔˌstreɪ loʊˈpɪθ ɪ kəs ə fɑˈrɛn sɪs, -pəˈθi kəs, ˌɔ strə loʊ- /

noun

1. an extinct species of early hominin whose fossil remains were discovered in Ethiopia and have been dated at about 2.8–4 million years of age.

2. a fossil belonging to this species.

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Etymology

Origin of Australopithecus afarensis

First recorded in 1975–80; from New Latin; Australopithecus ( def. ) + afarēnsis, after the Afar region of Ethiopia, where Lucy was found. See -ensis

Example Sentences

Presumably, the character of Lucy was given her name as a nod to our earliest known ancestor, a 3.2-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis who stood about the same height as Ben.

From Los Angeles Times

In northern Tanzania, footprints helped anthropologists understand that other hominin species also coexisted near the famous human ancestor “Lucy,” a species known as Australopithecus afarensis, dating back roughly 3 million years ago.

From Salon

Between 2 million and 3 million years ago, many kinds of hominins walked the same African landscapes as Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis.

From Science Magazine

Most scholars agree these tracks were made by Australopithecus afarensis—Lucy’s species—fossils of which have been found at Laetoli.

From Scientific American

The tracks are distinct from Australopithecus afarensis—the area’s known hominid species—suggesting early humans with very different strides may have coexisted.

From Scientific American