Library / English Dictionary

AUSTRALOPITHECINE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of several extinct humanlike bipedal primates with relatively small brains of the genus Australopithecus; from 1 to 4 million years ago

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("australopithecine" is a kind of...):

hominid (a primate of the family Hominidae)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "australopithecine"):

Australopithecus afarensis (fossils found in Ethiopia; from 3.5 to 4 million years ago)

Australopithecus africanus (gracile hominid of southern Africa; from about 3 million years ago)

Australopithecus boisei (large-toothed hominid of eastern Africa; from 1 to 2 million years ago)

genus Zinjanthropus; Zinjanthropus (genus to which Australopithecus boisei was formerly assigned)

Australopithecus robustus (large-toothed hominid of southern Africa; from 1.5 to 2 million years ago; formerly Paranthropus)

genus Paranthropus; Paranthropus (former classification for Australopithecus robustus)

Holonyms ("australopithecine" is a member of...):

Australopithecus; genus Australopithecus (extinct genus of African hominid)

Derivation:

australopithecine (of or belonging to the hominid genus Australopithecus)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or belonging to the hominid genus Australopithecus

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

genus Australopithecus (extinct genus of African hominid)

Derivation:

australopithecine (any of several extinct humanlike bipedal primates with relatively small brains of the genus Australopithecus; from 1 to 4 million years ago)

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