The adult males were larger on average than females ( sexual dimorphism ), as was the case in virtually all australopithecine species.
42.
The hands of " H . naledi " appear to have been better suited for object manipulation than those of australopithecines.
43.
Just like humans, the Millennium Ancestor had much smaller teeth than those of australopithecines and a much larger femur, or thigh bone.
44.
This adaptation, which allows humans to absorb great shock and force applied to the skeleton, is not seen in australopithecine skeletal structures.
45.
The thumb, wrist and palm bones are modern-like while the fingers are curved, more australopithecine, and useful for climbing.
46.
However, this contention was later withdrawn because of its robust australopithecine features and the discovery of " Homo habilis " soon thereafter.
47.
The apparent toolmaking skill will deprive scientists of one item on the list of reasons for the extinction of Paranthropus, the last of the Australopithecines.
48.
Lovejoy's argument was backed by Tim White, a University of California-Berkeley anthropologist and discoverer of early Australopithecines with his Ethiopian colleagues.
49.
New research suggests, however, that australopithecines exhibited a lesser degree of sexual dimorphism than these figures suggest, but the issue is not settled.
50.
The terms " australopithecine ", et al ., come from a former classification as members of a distinct subfamily, the Australopithecinae.
