Praeanthropus afarensis (Johanson, White & Coppens, 1978)
A. bahrelghazali? Brunet et al., 1996
A. deyiremeda? Haile-Selassie et al., 2015
Australopithecus afarensis is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived from about 3.9–2.9 million years ago (mya) in the Pliocene of East Africa. The first fossils were discovered in the 1930s, but major fossil finds would not take place until the 1970s. From 1972 to 1977, the International Afar Research Expedition—led by anthropologists Maurice Taieb, Donald Johanson and Yves Coppens—unearthed several hundreds of hominin specimens in Hadar, Ethiopia, the most significant being the exceedingly well-preserved skeleton AL 288-1 ("Lucy") and the site AL 333 ("the First Family"). Beginning in 1974, Mary Leakey led an expedition into Laetoli, Tanzania, and notably recovered fossil trackways. In 1978, the species was first described, but this was followed by arguments for splitting the wealth of specimens into different species given the wide range of variation which had been attributed to sexual dimorphism (normal differences between males and females). A. afarensis probably descended from A. anamensis and is hypothesised to have given rise to Homo, though the latter is debated.
A. afarensis had a tall face, a delicate brow ridge, and prognathism (the jaw jutted outwards). The jawbone was quite robust, similar to that of gorillas. The living size of A. afarensis is debated, with arguments for and against marked size differences between males and females. Lucy measured perhaps 105 cm (3 ft 5 in) in height and 25–37 kg (55–82 lb), but she was rather small for her species. In contrast, a presumed male was estimated at 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) and 45 kg (99 lb). A perceived difference in male and female size may simply be sampling bias. The leg bones as well as the Laetoli fossil trackways suggest A. afarensis was a competent biped, though somewhat less efficient at walking than humans. The arm and shoulder bones have some similar aspects to those of orangutans and gorillas, which has variously been interpreted as either evidence of partial tree-dwelling (arboreality), or basal traits inherited from the chimpanzee–human last common ancestor with no adaptive functionality.
A. afarensis was probably a generalist omnivore of both C3 forest plants and C4 CAM savanna plants—and perhaps creatures which ate such plants—and was able to exploit a variety of different food sources. Similarly, A. afarensis appears to have inhabited a wide range of habitats with no real preference, inhabiting open grasslands or woodlands, shrublands, and lake- or riverside forests. Potential evidence of stone tool use would indicate meat was also a dietary component. Marked sexual dimorphism in primates typically corresponds to a polygynous society and low dimorphism to monogamy, but the group dynamics of early hominins is difficult to predict with accuracy. Early hominins may have fallen prey to the large carnivores of the time, such as big cats and hyenas.
H. erectus (H. antecessor) (H. ergaster) (Au. sediba)
H. heidelbergensis
Homo sapiens
Neanderthals
Denisovans
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Earlier apes
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Gorilla split
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Chimpanzee split
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Earliest bipedal
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Earliest sign of Ardipithecus
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Earliest sign of Australopithecus
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Earliest stone tools
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Earliest sign of Homo
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Dispersal beyond Africa
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Earliest rock art
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Modern humans
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^Johanson, Donald C.; White, Tim D.; Coppens, Yves (1978). "A New Species of the Genus Australopithecus (Primates: Hominidae) from the Pliocene of Eastern Africa". Kirtlandia. 28: 1–14.
and 28 Related for: Australopithecus afarensis information
Australopithecusafarensis is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived from about 3.9–2.9 million years ago (mya) in the Pliocene of East Africa...
humans), Paranthropus, and Kenyanthropus evolved from some Australopithecus species. Australopithecus is a member of the subtribe Australopithecina, which sometimes...
Kenya. It is usually accepted that A. afarensis emerged within this lineage. However, A. anamensis and A. afarensis appear to have lived side by side for...
Paranthropus. African archaeology Australopithecusafarensis – Extinct hominid from the Pliocene of East Africa Australopithecus sediba – Two-million-year-old...
afarensis skeleton strongly reflect bipedalism, to the extent that some researchers have suggested that bipedality evolved long before A. afarensis....
if moved to genus Australopithecus because Australopithecus aethiopicus is already a junior synonym of Australopithecusafarensis. Such a classification...
earlier A. afarensis which inhabited the same region, based mainly on dental similarities. Though they assigned the species to Australopithecus, the original...
width, and foot angle, and determined that A. afarensis was more human-like in gait than ape-like. A. afarensis is an obligate bipedal hominin with the beginnings...
evidenced by morphological characteristics found in Australopithecus anamensis and Australopithecusafarensis forelimbs, and that it is less parsimonious to...
their greater age (all predating Australopithecus). At the time Kenyanthropus was discovered, Australopithecusafarensis was the only recognised australopithecine...
apparently more marked in A. sediba than the more ancient A. afarensis, and if A. afarensis is ancestral to A. sediba, this could indicate an adaptive shift...
period various forms of australopiths existed, including Australopithecus anamensis, Au. afarensis, Au. sediba, and Au. africanus. There is still some debate...
suggested that the same was also true for the significantly earlier Australopithecusafarensis. Sexual dimorphism is difficult to measure in extinct species...
Several species, including Australopithecus garhi, Australopithecus sediba, Australopithecus africanus, and Australopithecusafarensis, have been proposed as...
that lived 3.9 to 2.9 million years ago. Compared to modern apes, A. afarensis and A. africanus have much smaller molars and canines, but they are still...
normal range of variation for A. afarensis. If it is a valid species, then it could possibly indicate some A. afarensis specimens are currently classified...
recovered and was later described as the first known member of Australopithecusafarensis. Johanson was astonished to find so much of her skeleton all at...
Afar, was the site of the discovery in 1973 – 74 of "Lucy", the Australopithecusafarensis skeletal remains, by Donald Johanson of the Cleveland Museum of...
doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330720104. PMID 3103460. Heslip, Steven (2001). "Australopithecus anamensis". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011.[self-published...
million years ago, including Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Australopithecus africanus, A. afarensis, Homo erectus, H. habilis and H. ergaster—the earliest...
ages. They are generally thought to be members of the species Australopithecusafarensis. There are multiple theories about the hominids' cause of death...
H. (1996). "Randomization procedures and sexual dimorphism in Australopithecusafarensis". Journal of Human Evolution. 31 (6): 537–548. doi:10.1006/jhev...
famous of which is "Lucy," the partial skeleton of a specimen of Australopithecusafarensis. Recently added to the basement gallery is a display on Selam...
million year old stone tools. The stone tools may have been made by Australopithecusafarensis, the species whose best fossil example is Lucy, which inhabited...
PMID 30655349. Latimer B, Lovejoy CO (March 1989). "The calcaneus of Australopithecusafarensis and its implications for the evolution of bipedality". American...
does not belong to the species Australopithecusafarensis or Australopithecus africanus, but to a unique Australopithecus species previously found at Makapansgat...
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