Australopithecus

[ aw-strey-loh-pith-i-kuh s, -puh-thee-kuh s, aw-struh- ]

/ ɔˌstreɪ loʊˈpɪθ ɪ kəs, -pəˈθi kəs, ˌɔ strə- /

an extinct genus of small-brained,large-toothed bipedal hominids that lived in Africa between one and four million years ago.

Compare australopithecine.

Origin of Australopithecus

< New Latin (1905), equivalent to austral(is) austral¹ + -o- -o- + pithēcus < Greek píthēkos ape

Australopithecus

[ (aw-stray-loh-pith-i-kuhs, aw-stray-loh-pi-thee-kuhs) ]

An extinct genus of the hominid family that lived in Africa from about three to one million years ago. The name means “southern ape.”

Members of this genus were the ancestors of modern humans. One of the best-known fossils, Lucy, was a member of this genus.