australopithecine
/ˌɒstɹələ(ʊ)ˈpɪθɪsiːn/ noun, adjective
Forms australopithecines
- noun (anthropology, paleontology) Any of several extinct hominids, belonging to the genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus in the subtribe Australopithecina when seen as distinct, and sometimes other closely related genera.
- adjective (anthropology, paleontology) Of or pertaining to these hominids.
Synonyms
Etymology
Originally in reference to a now-obsolete subfamily Australopithecinae, formed in New Latin, from Latin austrālis (“southern”) + Ancient Greek πίθηκος (píthēkos, “ape”).
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “australopithecine”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details