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

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 • Apr. 3, 2024

More is known about another early species, Australopithecus afarensis, which lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015