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australopithecine

[ aw-strey-loh-pith-uh-seen, -sahyn, -puh-thee-sin, -sahyn, aw-struh-loh- ]

noun

  1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a member of the extinct genus Australopithecus.


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling the genus Australopithecus or its members.

australopithecine

/ ˌɒstrələʊˈpɪθɪˌsiːn /

noun

  1. any of various extinct apelike primates of the genus Australopithecus and related genera, remains of which have been discovered in southern and E Africa. Some species are estimated to be over 4.5 million years old See also zinjanthropus
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


adjective

  1. of or relating to any of these primates
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

australopithecine

/ ô-strā′lō-pĭthĭ-sēn′ /

  1. Any of several early hominids of the genus Australopithecus of eastern and southern Africa, known from fossils dating from about 4 million to about 1 million years ago. The most complete australopithecine skeleton found so far, named Lucy by its discoverers, is estimated to be just over 3 million years old. While many scientists believe that australopithecines are ancestors of modern humans, not enough fossils have yet been found to establish any direct descent.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of australopithecine1

First recorded in 1935–40; Australopithec(us) + -ine 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of australopithecine1

C20: from New Latin Australopithecus, from Latin austrālis southern, austral 1+ Greek pithēkos ape

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AustraloidAustralopithecus