Final answer:
The first Australopithecus africanus, known as the Taung Child, was discovered by Raymond Dart in 1924, marking a significant moment in the study of human evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first Australopithecus africanus to be found was a child discovered in South Africa by Raymond Dart in 1924. This groundbreaking find is commonly known as the Taung Child. Dart identified the skull, despite its small brain size of only 422 cc, as an intermediate between apes and humans due to features such as a lack of brow ridges, small canines, and a forward position of the foramen magnum which suggested bipedalism and upright posture.Finds like the Taung Child and the later discovery of Lucy, a skeleton representing the species Australopithecus afarensis, critical to human anthropology, shine a light on our evolutionary history. These fossils, along with others, including the discovery of skeletal remains of Homo naledi and the oldest known hominin species, Sahelanthropus tchadensis, provide important insights into the development of early hominins and the possible emergence of key traits leading to modern humans.