Australopithecine

The Australopithecina (also: Australopithen ) are an extinct group of systematic Hominini within the family of great apes ( Hominidae ). It includes the genus Australopithecus, and - if the so-called robust Australopithecus species are cleaved in a separate genus - the genus Paranthropus. Also belonging is Kenyanthropus platyops; its status as ( only ) a member of a separate class is controversial among paleoanthropologists often this type is attributed as a special form of the genus Australopithecus. From the Australopithecina Homo rudolfensis and Homo habilis emerged, the earliest members of the genus Homo.

After his discovery of the fossils now known as Ardipithecus were first asked to Australopithecus. The genus is but now together with Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Orrorin tugenensis as a temporal precursor of australopithecines interpreted ( "pre - australopithecines " ), and it is argued that all three genera after finding further finds could possibly be associated with a single genus.

Analogously can be translated as pre-human " Australopithecina ", literally translated it means something like " southern ape ". All localities lie in Africa.

Properties

The Australopithecina existed in the Pleistocene, about 3.5 to 1.8 million years ago. During this time, many of this group attributed species evolved the ability for constant upright. In many species attest long arms as well as by frequent hand over hand and climbing slightly bent finger and toe bones but also from a regular stay on trees. For all species so far described the shape of the teeth suggests that they were vegetarians, the so-called robust Australopithecus species were evidenced by her strong jaw and strong chewing muscles adapted particularly pronounced on this diet. The body weight of individuals of all species is estimated to be 27 to 45 kg and her height 100 to 150 cm, the males were significantly tall as the female.

Habitat

All previously known finds of Australopithecus lived in habitats in which had formed along water courses, gallery forests, which went into bush and open savanna. As a dietary thus the leaves and the fruits of trees and grass were available; Paranthropus was dedicated to a hartfaserige food from grasses.

Use the strontium isotope analysis found evidence of gender differences in lifestyle. The analysis was based on the fact that the ratio of 87Sr to 86Sr in tooth enamel is a direct consequence of the same quantity ratio in the diet at the time of enamel formation in young people and that this in turn depends largely on the proportions in the soil. Additionally it is deemed certain that have not changed fundamentally in dolomitigen soil since the death of the australopithecines, the proportions. The 87Sr / 86Sr ratio of the examined teeth of Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus from Swartkrans and Sterkfontein revealed that the former owners of the larger teeth had taken around the place where food at most within five to six kilometers, while the owners of the smaller teeth a significantly expanded habitat had. Since the different tooth sizes are as a result of Geschlechtsdimorphismusses, the large teeth are male, the smaller teeth attributed to females. Accordingly, the male australopithecines from birth were largely sedentary, while female migrant workers arriving from other populations, which was interpreted as an indication of exogamy; female exogamy and male site fidelity is also available in chimpanzees, while moving with the gorillas males and females after puberty alike in other populations.

Historical

Until a few years ago only the people as Hominidae, the great apes, however, called Pongidae and thus both groups were considered as two separate families; the Australopithecina were then considered as subfamily Australopithecinae; from this classification comes from the term australopithecines. Today, however, one summarizes humans and apes in the family Hominidae together. The Australopithecina are also considered paraphyletic taxon, so do not include all the descendants of their last common ancestor: The representatives of the genus Homo, to which modern man belongs are, indeed emerged from the australopithecines, but are not traditionally placed in this group. For this reason, the taxon representatives of a modern form of systematics, cladistics, not recognized.