Australopithecus

* A. afarensis
* A. africanus
* A. anamensis

## Classification

### Name

*Australopithecus afarensis**Australopithecus africanus* *Australopithecus anamensis*

## Biography

### Locations

Africa

***Australopithecus*** (name meaning "*Southern Ape*") is a genus of a bidepal prehistoric primate that originated during the Late Pliocene epoch in what is now Africa. Directly ancestral to modern Humans, it has been described as the missing link between humans and primates.

In the Series 3 episode "***The Walking Ape***", a group of Australopithecus afarensis led by a male named Hercules were brought to the park from Late Pliocene Africa 3.2 million years ago. They reside in the Ape-Man Jungle Enclosure with other ape ancestors of humans. Additionally a female named Lucy followed the team through the portal while looking for a new group to join. A large group of Australopithecus anamensis chased the team through the portal. Later a group of Australopithecus africanus were brought to the park from Early Pleistocene Africa 2 million years ago.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

Australopithecus lived in Africa during the Late Pliocene around 3.2 million years ago. They lived with other animals such as Dinofelis, Crocodylus, Ancylotherium and even Deinotherium. Australopithecus were among the earliest ancestors of humans.

The first Australopithecus fossils were discovered in South Africa, by Australian anthropologist Raymond Dart who dubbed it the Taung Child. A full skeleton was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 by American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson and dubs the specimen Lucy.

## Journal Entry

However if people think that standing on two legs made Australopithecus king of the jungle, they would be wrong. Aside from walking upright, there was nothing very remarkable about them at all. Like other apes, Australopithecus lived in groups with complex social structures and were very political animals. Australopithecus fights were less violent than other primates, for example baboons have large canines and bite each other when they fight, while Australopithecus had small canines and their fights were mostly show. Unlike many animals that shared their environment, Australopithecus were comfortable in both trees and open spaces.

They shared waterholes and fruit with other animals such as Ancylotherium which were harmless towards Australopithecus. Other animals like Deinotherium were the biggest animals that shared the world with and they avoided them. Walking on two legs was an efficient way for Australopithecus to travel and gave them a higher viewpoint than other apes, that meant predators such as Dinofelis were easier to spot. When dusk came Australopithecus slept in trees because it was safer and made new nests everynight by folding down a bed of branches. Like other apes, they spent a lot their time grooming which was their equivalent of talking.
While male Australopithecus stayed within the same group their whole life, the females moved to new groups when they were old enough to mate which prevented inbreeding. Unlike other animals of which the male half climbs on the backs of the females to mate, Australopithecus mated face-to-face. The reason is that walking upright had changed orientation of the pelvis and as a result of the female sexual organs too. Australopithecus were masters of varied diet, and had a number of adaptions for themselves and that was hands that were nimble and dextrous since they were no longer used for walking on.
They had thick enamel on their teeth to help them cope with tough or dirty food. Australopithecus also had ingenuity and used basic tools like sticks with dig. They weren't born with those abilities and had to learn it by imitating their elders. There was also another important element in Australopithecus' diet and that was meat. Meat was only a small part of their diet, but it became more important for their descendants like Homo Erectus or even Neanderthals.

## Gallery

* A. afarensis
* A. africanus
* A. anamensis

An Australopithecus grooming another individual of it's groupAn Australopithecus with an ostrich egg it stole.Two Australopithecus fighting for leadership.

## Trivia

* Australopithecus are the first prehistoric apes brought to the park.