Final answer:
The five recognized species of genus Australopithecus are Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus garhi, Australopithecus anamensis, and Australopithecus sediba. They represent early hominins with bipedality and arboreal adaptations, living between 4.2 and 2 million years ago.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 5 Recognized Species of Genus Australopithecus
The genus Australopithecus, also known as the southern ape, is a crucial link in human evolutionary history, with its members constituting some of the earliest hominins known to have walked the Earth. Here are the five recognized species of this genus:
- Australopithecus afarensis: Best known for the famous "Lucy" fossil, this species is believed to have lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago and had a brain size comparable to that of a modern chimpanzee.
- Australopithecus africanus: Living between two and three million years ago, it was bipedal with a slender build and yet spent significant time in trees.
- Australopithecus garhi: A relatively more recent discovery that has been added to the roster of australopiths.
- Australopithecus anamensis: A species that lived about 4.2 million years ago and shows early trends of a decrease in jaw and dental size.
- Australopithecus sediba: The final recognized species that is known for its mixture of primitive and advanced traits.
These species exhibited bipedality and had various adaptations for tree climbing, showcasing a transitional phase in hominin evolution. The genus Australopithecus encompasses both gracile and robust forms; however, the robust australopithecines have been reclassified into the genus Paranthropus.