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Australopithecus
Australopithecus means southern ape of africa.Fossils of Australopithecines have been discovered in a number of sites in eastern and southern Africa. The first Australopithecines arrived 4 million years ago but became extinct about 1.5 millions of years ago. All the australopithecines were basically bipedal and therefore can be classified as hominids. But they can be divided according to teeth, jaws, and brain size:
The earliest known australopithecine is A. anamensis. The age of A. anamensis is estimated to be between 3.9 million and 4.2 million years old. Its fossilized teeth and jaws resemble a chimp's, but the canines are larger and less angled. A. anamensis had a clear hominid body and hence walked erect.
A. afarensis, lived in eastern Africa between 3 and 4 million years ago. Found in the Afar region of Ethiopia and in Tanzania, this australopithecine had a brain size a little larger than those of chimpanzees.Some individuals possessed canine teeth somewhat more projecting than those of later hominids.
Between about 2.5 million and 3 million years ago, A. afarensis evolved into a later australopithecine, A. africanus. Found basically in the South African caves, A. africanus possessed a brain similar to that of its predecessor. However, although the size of the chewing teeth remained large, the canines, instead of projecting, grew only to the level of the other teeth.
By about 2.6 million years ago, an evolutionary split occurred leading to two different branches - one poiting towards the genus and the other evolving into the robust australopithecines which eventually became extinct like bosei, robustus etc.
Australopithecines probably lived in small groups in forests and/or open areas;getting food by gathering, perhaps scavenging, and maybe even hunting small animals; organized around some sort of family unit and with interpersonal bonds supported by conscious sexuality, sharing of important resources, and defending the group members and territory.
