Australopithecus afarensis is the earliest hominid. A. afarensis is the stem
from which all other hominids developed. A. afarensis represents
a pre-human phase of hominid natural history in which considerable advance
was made in the development of the postcranial skeleton for upright bipedalism.
Several important characteristics of A. afarensis include: primitive dentition, a well developed pelvis-leg orientation, long curved fingers, long arms relative to the length of their legs, and a small brain capacity. Dental and cranial characteristics are relatively primitive but A. afarensis walked upright on two legs habitually as we do.
