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A. sediba also displayed humanlike characteristics in its hand structure. Apes and earlier australopiths possessed long, robust fingers and reduced thumbs that facilitated quadrupedal locomotion as well as their movement between tree branches.
Australopithecus sediba bears a strong resemblance to Au. africanus, a fossil species that is also found in South Africa. They have similar skull, facial and dental features. sediba is ancestral to the genus Homo or is closely related to the ancestral species.
What is the contribution of Australopithecus?
When this small-bodied, small-brained hominin was discovered, it proved that our early human relatives habitually walked on two legs. Its story began to take shape in late November 1974 in Ethiopia, with the discovery of the skeleton of a small female, nicknamed Lucy.
What is the significance of the Australopithecus sediba discovery?
This discovery was viewed by scientists as a potential turning point in paleoanthropology, because the well-preserved remains of various structures (including major portions of the pelvis, foot, leg, hand, arm, and skull) revealed a form unique among known hominin species and appeared to be intermediate in terms of …
What is the importance of Australopithecus?
Australopithecus is an important fossil in the study of human evolution because it is one of the earliest ancestors of the human species.
What are the characteristics of Australopithecus species?
The Australopithecus species, referred to as Australopithecines, had features that were both human-like and ape-like. Their brains were smaller and more in the range of the brains of modern apes. They tended to have longer arms that seemed well-suited to climbing.
Is Australopithecus sediba a direct ancestor of Homo?
Different aspects of its teeth point to similarities to other Australopithecines as well as to Homo species. Its pelvis and lower chest resemble those of Homo, while other traits resemble those of Australopithecus. A. sediba is, therefore, a good candidate for being a direct ancestor of the genus Homo.
Did Homo evolve from Australopithecus?
In fact, genus Homo appears to have evolved from genus Australopithecus. The hominid family tree is grouped by genus, or by related genera in the case of the earliest grouping. The exact relationships between these species are not well understood and doubtless many more are waiting to be discovered.
Did australopithecines stride properly?
Australopithecines lacked the anatomical framework of body shape and size and lower limb morphology and proportions that certainly allowed erectus and probably habilines to stride properly. David W. Cameron, Colin P. Groves, in Bones, Stones and Molecules, 2004