Definition:
Early hominid dated to between 3.8 and 2.8 m.y.a. The famous example, Lucy, was discovered in 1976 at Hadar, Ethiopia, by Don Johanson and was named after a Beetles song. Fossil footprints attributed to afarensis were discovered at Laetoli, Tanzania, in 1978 by geochemist Paul I. Abell. Australopithecus afarensis lived in broken woodland (a mixture of terrestrial and arboreal habitat). Post-cranial bones show it was adept at walking upright and capable of running.
Related Terms
• Ardipithecus ramidus
• Australopithecus anamensis
• Kenyanthropus platyops
Related Resources:
Humankind's African Origins
The number of recognised hominid species which form part of our extended family tree is growing. Find out where and when each of these species was discovered.
