A.africanus

= = **__.... .... .... .... Australopithecus Africanus .... .... .... ....__** __**Origins and Discovery- Yasmin.**__ Raymond Dart was the scientist that found Taung Child, the first and most famous fossil’s of the Australopithecus Skeleton type. The fossil was found in a Limestone Quarry near Kimberly, in South Africa. It was sent to Raymond Dart in Australia, who believed this to be an early ancestor of humans. Dart named this species Australopithecus africanus because of the meaning, southern ape of Africa. It took over 20 years for the scientific community to accept Au. Africanus as a member of the human family tree. Dart had so much difficulty in proving his theory to the scientific community because, at the time, many believed human ancestors had large brains and and ape-like jaws whereas the Taung Child had the opposite of these features. Acceptance only rose during the late 1940s after Robert Broom's discoveries of more fossils, including those of adults. All known specimens have been found in various parts of South Africa. It is believed that Au. Africanus lived between 3.3 and 2.04 million years ago.

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__**Main features of the Skull- Sabrina. **__ Au. Africanus is the South African counterpart of Au. Afarensis ( Australopithecus afarensis WikiPage). It is generally and anatomically similar in many traits to Au. Afarensis. It hasa more human-like cranium allowing a larger brain and more humanoid facial features, but the cranium also resembles a chimp. The foramen magnum was at the base of the skull- indicates human-like posture. Compared to Au. Afarensis, Au. Africanus had a rounder cranium housing a larger brain and smaller teeth. The ape-like features were a Strongly sloping face that juts out from underneath the braincase and a pronounced jaw. The brain averaged approx. 480cm3. This is still small but also relatively large when compared with a modern chimpanzee’s brain. The skull had more human-like features than Au. Afarensis, including a smaller brow ridge, a slightly arched (rather than flat) forehead area. Like all human ancestors, the spinal cord emerged from the central part of the base of the skull rather than from the back (foramen magnum). . . . = __Physical Characteristics- Erin.__  = Because of their human-like skeleton they had a large brain and human type features. Their brian measured to 400cc to 500cc giving them ape-like intelligence. The fossil’s all had a similar small foreheads and small chins. The Au. Africanus was a bipedal hominid (//walking up right on two feet as opposed to moving on all four limbs//) with arms slightly larger than the legs (a physical trait also found in chimpanzees). The pelvis, femur (upper leg), and foot bones indicate that it had the ability to walk on two legs. The pelvis was built for slightly better bipedalism compared to Au. Afarensis, although it had more primitive features, like ape-like curved fingers and the shoulder and hand bones for tree climbing. Height: Weight: . Like most primates it is believed that Au. Africanus were very social animals, using hand signals or sounds to get their point across.Since only fossils have been left behind, the exact structure and position of the pharynx and vocal cords is unknown. This species probably used simple tools such as sticks found in the immediate surroundings and scavenged animal bones. Stones may also have been used as tools, however, there is no evidence that these stones were shaped or modified. As they occupied an environment in South Africa, they would've been amongst a mixture of woodland and savannah grassland. The climate has gradually become drier and savannah grasslands have spread. **Diet:** Tooth-size, shape, and tooth-wear all provide diet clues. Studies have found more scratches than pits on Au. Africanus teeth. This pattern indicates that Au. africanus ate tough foods but also had a very variable diet including softer fruits and plants. They had similar jaws and teeth to both humans and apes and those of earlier species, such as Au. Afarensis. The canine and incisor teeth had become shorter and smaller, a gap (diastema) between the canines and adjacent teeth was rare and premolar teeth and molar teeth were all quite large. They also adaptated their jaws for heavy chewing like a gorilla. Chemical analysis also suggests that some meat was included in the diet but not in significant amounts. It is likely that they may have scavenged for meat rather than hunted.
 * Males: average 138 cm
 * Females: average 115 cm
 * Males: average 41 kg
 * Females: average 30 kg
 * __Behaviours and Diet- Sabrina.__ **



__**Bibliography **__ "Australopithecus africanus." //Human Evolution by The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program//. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2012.Human Evolution link: . "Australopithecus africanus - Australian Museum." //Australian Museum - nature, culture, discover - Australian Museum//. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. Australian Museum[].