Australopithecus (, ; etymology
Latin australis "southern",
Greek πίθηκος
pithekos "ape"; informal
australopithecine or
australopith) is an extinct
genus of
hominins. From
paleontological and
archaeological evidence, the
Australopithecus genus apparently evolved in eastern Africa around before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct somewhat after two million years ago. During that time, a number of australopithecine species emerged, including
Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus, A. anamensis, A. bahrelghazali, A. deyiremeda (proposed),
A. garhi, and
A. sediba.