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 • Jan. 9, 2026

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 • Nov. 29, 2024

Notes: *For example, the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis was believed to have speciated via anagenesis from Australopithecus anamensis.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024

The tools predated Homo and showed that an earlier hominin, perhaps Australopithecus afarensis, already knew how to make flakes, albeit less sophisticated than those of the Oldowan.

From Science Magazine • Feb. 8, 2023

The best-known species is Australopithecus afarensis, of which the best-known specimen, called “Lucy,” was discovered in 1974.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018