Pithecanthropus

[ pith-i-kan-thruh-puhs, -kuhn-throh-puhs ]

noun

1. a former genus of extinct hominins whose members have now been assigned to the proposed species Homo erectus.

pithecanthropus

/ ˌpɪθɪkænˈθrəʊpəs; -ˈkænθrə- /

noun

1. any primitive apelike man of the former genus Pithecanthropus, now included in the genus Homo See Java man Peking man

pithecanthropus

/ pĭth′ĭ-kăn′thrə-pəs,-kăn-thrō′pəs /

1. An extinct hominid postulated from bones found in Java in 1891 and originally designated Pithecanthropus erectus because it was thought to represent a species evolutionarily between apes and humans. Pithecanthropus is now classified as Homo erectus.
2. Also called Java man
3. See more at Homo erectus

Derived Forms

• ˌpitheˈcanthroˌpine, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pithecanthropus¹

First recorded in 1870–75; from New Latin: literally “ape-man”; from Greek píthēk(os) “ape” + Greek ánthrōpos “human being”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pithecanthropus¹

C19: New Latin, from Greek pithēkos ape + anthrōpos man

Example Sentences

The thigh-bone shows that Pithecanthropus could have stood and walked erect quite comfortably.

From Project Gutenberg

First, that the skull-cap of Pithecanthropus is on all sides admitted to shew provision for powerful jaw-muscles.

From Project Gutenberg

Taking the first group (Pithecanthropus and Homo heidelbergensis) it is to be noticed that close correlation is quite possible.

From Project Gutenberg

With the exception of Pithecanthropus, all the discoveries mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs were made in Europe.

From Project Gutenberg

In the first place, come the examples described as Pithecanthropus and Homo heidelbergensis (Mauer).

From Project Gutenberg