Paranthropus

[ puh-ran-thruh-puhs, par-uhn-throh-puhs ]

noun

1. an extinct genus of bipedal hominins with massive chewing muscles, large teeth, and thick dental enamel: it may have descended from Australopithecus in Africa about 2.7 million years ago.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Paranthropus¹

First recorded in 1935–40; from New Latin: literally “beside man, near man”; equivalent to Greek para- “beside, near” + Greek ánthrōpos “human being”; para-

Example Sentences

The artifacts may not have human origins, though—they were excavated alongside teeth from an extinct hominin branch, Paranthropus.

From Scientific American

Two big fossil teeth found at the site belong to an extinct human cousin, known as Paranthropus.

From BBC

But the molar was from a very different human relative: Paranthropus, known for its huge teeth and crested ape-size skull, not toolmaking skills.

From Science Magazine

H. erectus—the likely ancestor to the lineage that led to our own species, H. sapiens—would have peered across its territory and seen two other bipeds from two different genera, Australopithecus and Paranthropus.

From Scientific American

In chimpanzees and various other human ancestors such as Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus, the inner ear is not designed to resolve the frequency band of language particularly well.

From Scientific American