The australopithecines include the genus Australopithecus and, for some researchers, Paranthropus . The hominines refer to the members of the genus Homo . Some researchers place all of the robust forms in the genus Paranthropus . Paleoanthropologists focus on physical features of the hominid skeletons and on tool use. Evolutionary phylogeneticists describe the similarities or relatedness of organisms.
Molecular anthropologists emphasize protein and DNA similarities among the hominids.
Some hominid physical features. Paleoanthropologists are scientists who study exclusively human origins. In comparisons of skeletal structures or morphological traits in the hominids, they believe they have found several hominine and ape-like features in these fossils. One of the most important species of the australopithecines, Australopithecus afarensis , exhibits these features. While it seems clear that the australopithecines were not knuckle-walkers like modern apes, the hip joints were rotated forward enough that they are not confused with modern human hip joints.