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”; para-

Example Sentences

"This discovery is so much more than a simple snapshot of Paranthropus' occurrence: It sheds fresh light on the driving forces behind the evolution of the genus."

From Science Daily

That view shifted when researchers analysed 51 fossil teeth from a range of hominids and great apes, including Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus, early Homo, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens.

From Science Daily

For now, the Paranthropus robustus mystery has grown deeper, more intricate, and infinitely more fascinating.

From Science Daily

Hominins belonging to the species Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei, the two most common living human species of the Pleistocene Epoch, made the tracks, the researchers said.

From Science Daily

“If Homo erectus ate considerably more animal foods than Paranthropus boisei, that alone would guarantee rather different niches,” Sponheimer told Salon in a phone interview.

From Salon