PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Australopithecus afarensis

Mammalia - Primates - Hominidae

Taxonomy

Australopithecus afarensis was named by Johanson et al. (1978). Its type specimen is L.H.-4, a mandible (mandibular corpus with broken RC, m1, m2, intact R and lp4, m3 lm1, m2), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was synonymized subjectively with Praeanthropus africanus by Cela-Conde and Ayala (2003).

Subspecies

Homo antiquus praegens

Synonyms

Homo antiquus was named by Ferguson (1984) [type specimen is Lucy]. Its type specimen is A.L. 288-1, a partial skeleton, and it is not a trace fossil.

It was synonymized subjectively with Australopithecus afarensis by White et al. (1994).
Homo antiquus praegens was named by Ferguson (1989).

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Australopithecus afarensis by White et al. (1994).
Praeanthropus afarensis was named by Strait and Grine (2004).

It was synonymized subjectively with Australopithecus afarensis by MacLatchy et al. (2010).
Praeanthropus africanus was named by Weinert (1950) [definitely not the original combination, as the species predates the genus]. It is not extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Australopithecus afarensis by Haile-Selassie (2010).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1950	Praeanthropus africanus Weinert
1978	Australopithecus afarensis Johanson et al.
1978	Australopithecus afarensis Johanson and et al.
1984	Homo antiquus Ferguson
1989	Homo antiquus praegens Ferguson
2004	Praeanthropus afarensis Strait and Grine
2010	Australopithecus afarensis Haile-Selassie

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha

Rank	Name	Author
—	Mammaliaformes
class	Mammalia
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Euarchontoglires	Murphy et al. 2001
—	Euarchonta
order	Primates
infraorder	Haplorhini	(Pocock 1918)
—	Anthropoidea	(Mivart 1864)
infraorder	Catarrhini	Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1812
superfamily	Hominoidea	Gray 1825
family	Hominidae	Gray 1825
subfamily	Homininae	Gray 1825
tribe	Hominini	Gray 1825
genus	Australopithecus	Dart 1925
species	afarensis

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Australopithecus afarensis Johanson et al. 1978

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Invalid names: Homo antiquus Ferguson 1984 [synonym], Homo antiquus praegens Ferguson 1989 [invalid subgroup], Praeanthropus afarensis Strait and Grine 2004 [synonym], Praeanthropus africanus Weinert 1950 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

terrestrialsubc

Locomotion:

actively mobilec

Life habit:

ground dwellingf

Diet:

omnivoref

Reproduction:

viviparoussubc

Created:

2005-06-08 10:11:09

Modified:

2005-08-22 19:23:50

Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum

References: Nowak 1991, Carroll 1988, Lillegraven 1979, Ji et al. 2002, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range: base of the Messinian to the top of the Piacenzian or 7.24600 to 2.58800 Ma

Collections (41 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Messinian	7.246 - 5.333	Kenya	Australopithecus afarensis (22274)
Zanclean	5.333 - 3.6	Ethiopia	Australopithecus afarensis (22563 22567)
Zanclean	5.333 - 3.6	Kenya	Australopithecus afarensis (22278 22338)
Pliocene	5.333 - 2.588	Tanzania (Eastern Drift Valley)	Australopithecus afarensis (32050)
Pliocene	5.333 - 2.588	Ethiopia	Australopithecus afarensis (22664)
Zanclean - Piacenzian	5.333 - 2.588	Kenya	Australopithecus afarensis (22239)
Late/Upper Pliocene (early glacial)	3.6 - 2.588	Kenya (Rift Valley)	Australopithecus afarensis (231926)
Late/Upper Pliocene	3.6 - 2.588	Ethiopia (Afar)	Australopithecus afarensis (231987)
Piacenzian	3.6 - 2.588	Ethiopia (Afar)	Australopithecus afarensis (69088 70721)
Piacenzian	3.6 - 2.588	Ethiopia	Australopithecus afarensis (21756 21757 21758 21759 21760 21761 21762 21763 21764 21765 21766 21767 21768 21769 21770 21771 21774 21775 21776 21777 21778 21779 21781 21782 21783 21784 21785)
Piacenzian	3.6 - 2.588	Tanzania	Australopithecus afarensis (21800)
Piacenzian	3.6 - 2.588	Chad	Australopithecus afarensis (21962)