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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>'''Australopithecine''' refers to a group of extinct [[hominin]] species that existed between approximately 4.2 and 1.2 million years ago. The term "Australopithecine" comes from the Latin ''australis'' meaning "southern", and ''pithecus'' meaning "ape". These species are significant in human [[evolution]] as they are among the earliest hominins to show evidence of [[bipedalism]].<br />
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== Characteristics ==<br />
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Australopithecines were generally more similar to [[human]]s than to [[ape]]s. They had a more upright posture and were capable of walking on two legs, a trait known as bipedalism. However, they also retained many ape-like features, such as a small brain size and a body adapted for climbing trees.<br />
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[[File:Australopithecus sediba.JPG|thumb|right|A reconstruction of ''Australopithecus afarensis'', one of the best-known australopithecines.]]<br />
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== Species ==<br />
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Several species of australopithecines have been identified, including:<br />
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* ''[[Australopithecus afarensis]]'': Known from fossils found in Eastern Africa, this species lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. ''A. afarensis'' is best known from the fossil nicknamed "Lucy", a 40% complete skeleton discovered in 1974.<br />
* ''[[Australopithecus africanus]]'': This species lived in Southern Africa between 3.3 and 2.1 million years ago. ''A. africanus'' was the first australopithecine species to be discovered, with the first specimen, the Taung Child, found in 1924.<br />
* ''[[Australopithecus sediba]]'': Discovered in 2008 in South Africa, ''A. sediba'' lived around 2 million years ago and is thought to be a possible ancestor of the genus ''[[Homo]]''.<br />
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== Evolutionary Significance ==<br />
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Australopithecines are considered significant in the study of human evolution due to their combination of ape-like and human-like characteristics. They are thought to represent a transitional stage between the quadrupedal locomotion of apes and the bipedalism of humans. The discovery of australopithecine fossils has greatly contributed to our understanding of early human evolution and the development of traits such as bipedalism and increased brain size.<br />
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== See Also ==<br />
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* [[Human evolution]]<br />
* [[Hominin]]<br />
* [[Bipedalism]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
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<references /><br />
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{{medicine-stub}}<br />
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[[Category:Prehistoric primates]]<br />
[[Category:Hominin evolution]]<br />
[[Category:Extinct primates]]</div>Kondreddy Naveen