Australopith
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈɒstɹələˌpɪθ/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Australopith is a noun meaning (anthropology, paleontology) Any of the hominids of the extinct genus Australopithecus.
Meaning
(anthropology, paleontology) Any of the hominids of the extinct genus Australopithecus.
More Meanings
- (anthropology, paleontology) Of or pertaining to the hominids of the extinct genus Australopithecus.
Example Sentences
The incisors are more similar in size to the molars compared to earlier australopiths—a condition which is also more humanlike. The limb bones indicate A. garhi had small stature like earlier australopiths.
Later we'll consider how these principles apply to australopith craniofacial function, but first let's review briefly how different australopiths accommodated large teeth and big masticatory muscles, and how they grew large, buttressed faces.
Most authorities would nowadays concur that the australopiths were generally committed to habitats with at least some trees, to which they were more or less tied for sleeping and for shelter from predators during the day, as well as for a large part of their sustenance.
Word Forms
- australopiths
Synonyms for australopith
Depending on context, synonyms include australopithecine, Australopithecus.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include paranthropine, afropithecine, griphopith, pithecanthropine, australidelphian, anoplotherium.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.