Hominid fossils of the australopithecine group showing an example of each of the two distinct types. At top is a gracile australopithecine, Australopi

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Hominid fossils of the australopithecine group showing an example of each of the two distinct types. At top is a gracile australopithecine, Australopithecus africanus (STS 5) known as Mrs Ples & found by Robert Broom at Sterkfontein, South Africa in 1936. At bottom is a robust australopithecine, A. robustus (SK 48) found by Broom & Robinson at Swartkrans, South Africa in 1949. Gracile australopithecines were lightly built & omnivorous; robust australopithecines were heavily built & vegetarian. This group represents the oldest hominids discovered to date. They are thought to have lived from to million years ago and ranged throughout most of Africa.

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Photo credit: © JOHN READER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: .african, africa, africanus, anthropology, australopithec, australopithecine, australopithecus, earliest, finds, fossil, hominid, hominids, hominin, human, man, palaeoanthropology, palaeontology, paleoanthropology, paleontology, robustus, south