Australopithecus

Australopithecus (AW-struh-loh-PITH-i-kuhs, /ˌɒstrələˈpɪθᵻkəs, ˌɔː-, -loʊ-/; etymology Latin australis "southern", Greek πίθηκος pithekos "ape"; informal australopithecine or australopith) is an extinct genus of hominins. From paleontological and archaeological evidence, the Australopithecus genus apparently evolved in eastern Africa around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct somewhat after two million years ago. During that time, a number of australopithecine species emerged, including Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus, A. anamensis, A. bahrelghazali, A. deyiremeda (proposed), A. garhi, and A. sediba.