Australopithecus afarensis

[ aw-strey-loh-pith-i-kuhsuh-fah-ren-sis, -puh-thee-kuhs, aw-struh-loh- ]

noun

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.
a fossil belonging to this species.

Origin of Australopithecus afarensis

¹

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

See also Australopithecus anamensis, Hadar², Lucy¹, Selam.

Words Nearby Australopithecus afarensis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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