Australopithecus anamensis

[ aw-strey-loh-pith-i-kuhs an-uh-men-sis, -puh-thee-kuhs, aw-struh-loh- ]

noun

1. an extinct species of early hominin whose fossil remains were discovered in Kenya in 1965 and more extensively in 1994, dated at about 3.9–4.2 million years of age, believed by some scientists to be older, less evolved members of the species Australopithecus afarensis: evidence suggests A. anamensis possessed both human and ape traits, notably humanlike ankles for bipedal walking and apelike forearms and wrists for climbing trees.
2. a fossil belonging to this species.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Australopithecus anamensis¹

Australopithecus ( def ) + New Latin anamēnsis, from Turkana anam “lake” + -ensis; coined in 1995 by British paleoanthropologist Meave Leakey (born 1942) and her associates. Leakey noted the differences between Australopithecus afarensis and the new finds and assigned them to a new species; -ensis ( def )

Example Sentences

Notes: *For example, the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis was believed to have speciated via anagenesis from Australopithecus anamensis.

From Science Daily

They dated the fossils to between 3.9 million and 4.2 million years ago, and named the species Australopithecus anamensis.

From Science Magazine

Among his last finds was one in 1994: a 4.1-million-year-old tibia bone from Australopithecus anamensis, the structure of which showed that these early human ancestors were already walking upright.

From New York Times

Nearly 25 years after scientists described the first fossil traces of Australopithecus anamensis, this unsung human ancestor is finally having its moment.

From Scientific American

A humanoid skull pulled from the sands of northeastern Ethiopia dates back 3.8 million years and is likely Australopithecus anamensis, a hominin long thought to be the direct predecessor of the famed “Lucy” species, A. afarensis.

From Science Magazine