Final answer:
Raymond Dart was the first person to describe and classify an australopithicine fossil, the Australopithecus africanus, based on the Taung child skull. This discovery provided crucial information about human evolution and the characteristics of early hominins.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first person to describe and classify an australopithicine fossil was Australian anatomist and anthropologist Raymond Dart. In 1924, Dart discovered the Australopithecus africanus fossil, known as the Taung child, in South Africa. He noted its unique characteristics such as a long and narrow skull, brain size similar to a chimpanzee, absence of brow ridges and large canines, and a forward position of the foramen magnum indicating bipedalism. Dart's discovery and classification of this fossil provided important insights into human evolution.