What does australopithicene mean?

Australopithecine refers to a group of extinct hominins that lived in Africa between approximately 4 million and 2 million years ago. The term is derived from Latin and Greek, meaning "southern ape," reflecting their discovery in southern Africa and their ape-like characteristics. Australopithecines are significant in human evolution, as they are among the earliest known ancestors of modern humans, displaying both bipedalism and adaptations for climbing. Notable species include Australopithecus afarensis, exemplified by the famous fossil "Lucy."