Sinanthropus

[ sahy-nan-thruh-puh s, si-, sahy-nan-throh-puh s, sin-an- ]
/ saɪˈnæn θrə pəs, sɪ-, ˌsaɪ nænˈθroʊ pəs, ˌsɪn æn- /

noun

the genus to which Peking man was formerly assigned.

Origin of Sinanthropus

< New Latin (1927), equivalent to Sin- Sino- + Greek ánthrōpos man

British Dictionary definitions for sinanthropus

sinanthropus
/ (sɪnˈænθrəpəs) /

noun

a primitive apelike man of the genus Sinanthropus, now considered a subspecies of Homo erectus See also Java man, Peking man

Word Origin for sinanthropus

C20: from New Latin, from Late Latin Sīnae the Chinese + -anthropus, from Greek anthrōpos man

Scientific definitions for sinanthropus

sinanthropus
[ sī-năn′thrə-pəs, sĭ-, sī′năn-thrō′pəs, sĭn′ăn- ]

An extinct hominid postulated from bones found in China in the late 1920s and originally designated Sinanthropus pekinensis in the belief that it represented a species evolutionarily preceding humans. Sinanthropus is now classified as Homo erectus. Also called Peking man See more at Homo erectus.