Original: The gracile australopithecines (genus Australopithecus; Latin australis "of the south", Greek pithekos "ape") are a group of extinct hominids that were closely related to humans.
Simplified: The gracile australopithecines (of the genus Australopithecus; Latin australis "of the south", Greek pithekos "ape") are a group of extinct hominids that were closely related to humans.