The Australopithecines appeared around 4.2 million years ago and diversified into many different forms before they went extinct at around 1.2 million years ago. The Australopithecines were best adapted to using two legs at their time and had high forearm/upper arm ratio compared to other hominids. Their height rested at 1.2 to 1.5 metres and were estimated with a 30-50 kg weight mass.
Their premolars and molars were relatively large and had a thickened enamel compared to contemporary apes and humans.
In 1950, Wilfred Le Gros Clark published a paper which settled the questions of whether Australopitchcines were apes or not. He performed a study based on the shape and function of teeth and jaws due to the reason that they formed most of the fossil evidence. Through studying human and ape fossils, he found that they were more humanlike then apelike in every characteristics. Judged by the same criteria some other scientists they found that they were more chimpanzee like than human.
Their premolars and molars were relatively large and had a thickened enamel compared to contemporary apes and humans.
In 1950, Wilfred Le Gros Clark published a paper which settled the questions of whether Australopitchcines were apes or not. He performed a study based on the shape and function of teeth and jaws due to the reason that they formed most of the fossil evidence. Through studying human and ape fossils, he found that they were more humanlike then apelike in every characteristics. Judged by the same criteria some other scientists they found that they were more chimpanzee like than human.