Asked by dariyon
An anthropologist finds a fossil that is 4 million years old. Its pelvis suggests it walked upright. Which species could the specimen belong to?
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus afarensis
Homo habilis
Homo erectus
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Answered by
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Australopithecus afarensis.
Reason: A. afarensis lived about 3.9–2.9 million years ago and shows clear adaptations for habitual bipedal walking (e.g., pelvis and leg anatomy). Homo habilis and Homo erectus are much younger (≤ ~2.4 Ma and ≤ ~1.9 Ma, respectively), and Australopithecus africanus appears later than ~4 Ma, so A. afarensis best fits a 4-million-year-old bipedal fossil.
Reason: A. afarensis lived about 3.9–2.9 million years ago and shows clear adaptations for habitual bipedal walking (e.g., pelvis and leg anatomy). Homo habilis and Homo erectus are much younger (≤ ~2.4 Ma and ≤ ~1.9 Ma, respectively), and Australopithecus africanus appears later than ~4 Ma, so A. afarensis best fits a 4-million-year-old bipedal fossil.
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