What were Australopithecus characteristics?

As characterized by the fossil evidence, members of Australopithecus bore a combination of humanlike and apelike traits. They were similar to modern humans in that they were bipedal (that is, they walked on two legs), but, like apes, they had small brains.

What is important about Australopithecus sediba?

sediba is important because it provides insights into hominin variation around the period when the genus Homo emerged. The skull and dentition of Au. The discoverers of Au. sediba argue that, among the australopith species, it most closely resembles Australopithecus africanus, which they argue is its likely ancestor.

Where does a sediba fit?

South Africa
Australopithecus sediba is an extinct species of australopithecine recovered from Malapa Cave, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. It is known from a partial juvenile skeleton, the holotype MH1, and a partial adult female skeleton, the paratype MH2.

How is au.sediba similar to other australopithecines?

Australopithecus sediba’s mixture of primitive traits found in other australopithecines and derived traits also found in Homo makes the evolutionary position of Au. sediba an interesting question. Similar to other australopithecine species, Au. sediba is small in size, with long arms and small cranial capacity.

How tall does an Australopithecus sediba grow to be?

However, such characteristics could be due to juvenility and lost with maturity. The teeth are quite small for an australopithecine. MH1 is estimated at 130 cm (4 ft 3 in) tall, which would equate to an adult height of 150–156 cm (4 ft 11 in–5 ft 1 in).

What kind of locomotion did au.sediba have?

Functional changes in the pelvis of Au. sediba point to the evolution of upright walking, while other parts of the skeleton retain features found in other australopithecines. Measurements of the strength of the humerus and femur show that Au. sediba had a more human-like pattern of locomotion than a fossil attributed to Homo habilis.

What are the physical characteristics of an Australopithecus?

Australopithecus physical characteristics Australopithecines had long, robust arms, similar to those of apes, indicating that they combined their movement on the lower extremities with climbing trees or climbing between branches.