Final answer:
Australopithecus afarensis and Kenyanthropus platyops are different species of early hominins with distinct morphological characteristics. A. afarensis had a combination of ape-like and human-like features and is considered bipedal, while K. platyops had a flat and broad face and belongs to the Paranthropus genus.
Step-by-step explanation:
Australopithecus aferensis, also known as A. afarensis, is a species of early hominin that lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. It had a combination of ape-like and human-like features, with notable traits such as long arms and curved fingers suggesting tree-dwelling behavior, and a pelvis that resembled that of modern humans, indicating bipedal locomotion. Kenanthropus platyops, on the other hand, is a separate and distinct species of early hominin that lived around the same time as A. afarensis. It is characterized by its flat and broad face, and is not considered to be a member of the Australopithecus genus. Instead, it belongs to the genus Paranthropus, along with other robust hominins such as Paranthropus aethiopicus and Paranthropus boisei. In summary, A. afarensis and K. platyops are different species with distinct morphological characteristics, belonging to separate genera within the early hominin family tree.