Australopithecus
/ˌɒs.trə.ləˈpɪθ.ɪ.kəs/noun
A genus of extinct hominins from Africa, closely related to the ancestry of humans.
Did you know?Australopithecus was coined in 1925 by anatomist Raymond Dart from Latin australis (“southern”) plus Greek pithekos (“ape”), so the name itself is a hybrid of two ancient languages used to label one of humanity’s earliest known relatives.
Etymological Timeline
1925
Modern Scientific Latin
Australopithecus
“A newly coined genus name meaning “southern ape.””
Latin
Latin
australis
“Southern; belonging to the south.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
píthēkos
“A monkey or ape.”
18th–19th Century
Taxonomic Latin
Australopithecus
“Scientific genus name applied to fossil hominins from southern Africa.”
Modern English
English
Australopithecus
“The extinct hominin genus known from African fossils.”
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