Sahelanthropus tchadensis

American  

[sah-he--lan-thruh-puhs cha-den-sis] / ˌsɑ hɛ ˈlæn θrə pəs tʃæˈdɛn sɪs /

noun

1. an extinct species of hominin and one of the oldest known species in the human lineage, having lived between about 6 and 7 million years ago in central Africa and noted for its upright walking as well as both apelike and humanlike features: the first of few fossil specimens were discovered in northern Chad in 2001, indicating the earliest humans were more widely distributed than previously thought.

2. a fossil belonging to this species.

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Etymology

Origin of Sahelanthropus tchadensis

First recorded in 2000–05; from New Latin Sahelanthrōpus, literally, “Sahel man,” from Arabic sāḥil “coast, shore” + Greek ánthrōpos “human being, man” + tchadensis , literally, “of or pertaining to Chad,” in north central Africa.

Example Sentences

A new study by anthropologists now presents strong evidence that Sahelanthropus tchadensis, a species first identified in the early 2000s, was capable of upright walking.

From Science Daily

"Our analysis of these fossils offers direct evident that Sahelanthropus tchadensis could walk on two legs, demonstrating that bipedalism evolved early in our lineage and from an ancestor that looked most similar to today's chimpanzees and bonobos," Williams concludes.

From Science Daily

"Sahelanthropus tchadensis was essentially a bipedal ape that possessed a chimpanzee-sized brain and likely spent a significant portion of its time in trees, foraging and seeking safety," says Scott Williams, an associate professor in New York University's Department of Anthropology and the study's lead author.

From Science Daily

Other new fossils pushed the human lineage even older: a 6-million-year-old thighbone from an apparent upright walker from Kenya called Millennium Man, or Orrorin tugenensis; and a stunning skull of Sahelanthropus tchadensis, dated 6 million to 7 million years old, from Chad.

From Science Magazine

The fossil species, named Sahelanthropus tchadensis, walked upright while still being able to climb around in trees, they reported.

From Seattle Times