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”; see para-

Example Sentences

It also noted that as many as four hominin lineages may have lived in eastern Africa between 3.0 and 2.5 million years ago: early Homo, Paranthropus, A. garhi, and the Ledi Geraru Australopithecus.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2026

The Afar fossil challenges that assumption, indicating that from its earliest stages, Paranthropus was both adaptable and capable of exploiting a wider range of food sources.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

A newly published study in Nature describes the discovery of the first known Paranthropus fossil from Ethiopia's Afar region, uncovered about 1000 km north of where this ancient hominin had previously been found.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

For nearly 100 years, scientists have been intrigued by the fossils of Paranthropus robustus, a sturdy, distant cousin of early humans.

From Science Daily • Nov. 1, 2025

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 • Nov. 28, 2024