Research history
The first Australopithecus specimen, the type specimen, was discovered in 1924 in a lime quarry by workers at Taung, South Africa. The specimen was studied by the Australian anatomist See more

The brains of most species of Australopithecus were roughly 35% of the size of a modern human brain with an endocranial volume average … See more

It was once thought that Australopithecus could not produce tools like Homo, but the discovery of A. garhi associated with large mammal bones bearing evidence of processing by stone tools showed this to not have been the case. Discovered in 1994, this was the … See more

• The spot where the first Australopithecus boisei was discovered in Tanzania.
• Original skull of Mrs. Ples, a female A. africanus See more

A. anamensis may have descended from or was closely related to Ardipithecus ramidus. A. anamensis shows some similarities to both Ar. ramidus and Sahelanthropus See more

Australopithecus species are thought to have eaten mainly fruit, vegetables, and tubers, and perhaps easy-to-catch animals such as small lizards. Much research has focused on a … See more

• KT-12/H1, an A. bahrelghazali mandibular fragment, discovered 1995 in Sahara, Chad
• AL 129-1, an A. afarensis knee joint, discovered 1973 in Hadar, Ethiopia
• Karabo, a juvenile male A. sediba, discovered in South Africa See more