pithecanthrope
- noun
- /ˌpɪθɪˈkænθroʊp/
- Archaic
:
Pithecanthropus
- The discovery of a pithecanthrope skull provided new insights into human evolution.
Examples
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In the museum, a reconstructed pithecanthrope stands next to modern human skeletons.
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Many scientists study the pithecanthrope to understand human evolution.
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Scientists debated whether the fossil truly belonged to a pithecanthrope or another early species.
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The pithecanthrope lived millions of years ago.
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The discovery of a pithecanthrope skull provided new insights into human evolution.
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In the museum, a reconstructed pithecanthrope stands next to modern human skeletons.
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Many scientists study the pithecanthrope to understand the development of early human traits.
Synonyms
9
9.9
An early human ancestor known from fossils found in Africa
1
7.4
An early human who lived long ago in Europe and western Asia
1
9.9
An extinct early human relative that lived in Africa long ago
1
7.7
An early ancestor of people like us who lived long ago
1
9.9
An extinct ape from South Asia that is related to orangutans
1
9.9
A very large ape that lived in Asia during the Ice Age
A former name for an early human found in Java, now called Homo erectus
A former name for fossil humans now called Homo erectus
An old name for early human fossils now called Homo erectus
Fossil bones of an early human found in Java, Indonesia
An extinct early human from long ago now called Homo erectus
An old scientific name for early humanlike fossils now called Australopithecus
An extinct early human ancestor from Africa that lived long ago
An extinct early human ancestor known from fossils found in Ethiopia
An extinct early human ancestor that lived in southern Africa about three million years ago
An early human relative with very large teeth that lived in eastern Africa one to two million years ago
An extinct early human relative with large teeth that lived in southern Africa around two million years ago
A former scientific name for an extinct early human fossil
A group of extinct early human ancestors like Australopithecus robustus
A human ancestor from before modern humans
An early human with features between apes and people today
An extinct early primate believed to be an ancestor of apes and humans
An extinct early primate from Egypt that lived before modern apes
An extinct primate with large back teeth and strong jaws found as fossils in Kenya
A large extinct ape that lived in Greece and Turkey
An extinct ape from millions of years ago that may be an ancestor of modern apes and humans
An extinct ape that lived long ago in parts of Europe and Asia, often in trees
A large extinct ape known from fossils in East Asia
An early human who lived in Africa and is known from old bones
A type of early human from long ago with bones found in Zambia
An early human known from bones found in Spain about one million years ago
An extinct group of humans that lived in Europe and western Asia long ago
A type of human that lived in Europe and western Asia long ago and is now extinct
An early modern human who lived in Europe during the late Ice Age
A possible early human known from a skull found in South Africa
How Apelike
118
1.0
- Archaic
- Specialized
1
7.7
- Specialized
12
7.6
- Specialized
2
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
pithecanthrope = pithec + anthrop
Although historically analyzable as 'ape' + 'man' in Greek, the combining forms are not recognizable English words, so the etymological components do not make the meaning guessable for learners.
Etymology
Pithecanthrope comes from Greek parts pithekos ('ape') and anthropos ('man'), and the same anthropos appears in words like anthropology, so the term was used for extinct, ape-like human ancestors and fossils.