Australopithecus

Australopithecus, or “southern ape,” a genus of hominids whose fossilized bones, discovered in South Africa in 1924, date back about 3 million years. Australopithecines stood erect at about 4–5 ft (120–150 cm) and walked on 2 legs without the help of their arms. Their teeth were more human than apelike, their brains about one-third those of humans in size.