Jurassic June: Australopithecus

Name: Australopithecus (Aw-Strawl-Loe-Pith-The-Cus)

Which means: "Southern ape"

Australopithecus was an early hominid that roamed the plains of Africa during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene (approximately 4.5-1.9 million years ago), making it one of the longest lived primates. These primates were our earliest ancestors, standing to about 3-5 feet in height.

Like most primates, Australopithecus likely lived in social groups, looking out and taking care of one another. They also likely used tools for getting food and fending off predators.

There are in fact several different species of Australopithecus. And one of the most well known specimens of Australopithecus was Lucy, a member of Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy was one of the first hominin fossils to become a household name and the most complete hominin to have been discovered, with roughly 40% of her remains uncovered.

#JurassicJune #mammals #humans #ancestors #science #paleontology #facts #education