Who was Australopithecus

Australopithecus

• Australopithecus ramidus: Was 1.2 meters tall and the fossils show the foramen magnum that was large to indicate upright walking. The forelimbs were different from those of the earlier ape-like ancestors. They had teeth like humans.
• Australopithecus afarensis– ‘Lucy’ the famous fossil belonged to this species. They are said to have inhabited the African mainland. And they were shorter than the Australopithecus ramidus and had a small skull with flat noses and no chin. They were able to walk on two legs but the legs were slightly bowed which made their walk slightly ape-like. The bowed legs, fingers, and toes enabled them to climb trees and live there. They had large teeth and jaws.
• Australopithecus africanus– These also inhabited the African mainland. They were bipedal and had a small skull with small brains than Homo erectus but larger than their predecessors. Also, they had large teeth compared to current day humans and were herbivorous. They had large jaws.
• Australopithecus robustus– He was taller than his predecessors but still ape-like. They also weighed more than their ancestors. After the Australopithecus genus came the Homo genus. The first man in the genus was Homo habilis.