Australopithecines

Australopithecus were so tiny. Why were they so tiny?

>>2151379
Less surface area. The opposite of why animals who live in colder climates are larger.
Plus it might be due to their ape heritage as well as sexual dimorphism.

>>2151384
But then H. erectus got fuck-huge. Was it the change from foraging between forest patches to long-distance hunting in the open?

File: ardi_anatomy_zoom.jpg (131KB, 600x963px) Image search: [Google] [Yandex] [Bing]

131KB, 600x963px

>>2151388
Most likely. Remember, the ice age was the main reason we left. The forests were starting to recede and creatures like Ardi had to adapt.

>>2151388
erectus is only about a foot taller then Australopithecus but only if we compare the largest known erectus to the only known male Australopithecus.

File: NHM_-_Australopithecus_afarensis_Modell_1.jpg (3MB, 2000x3976px) Image search: [Google] [Yandex] [Bing]

3MB, 2000x3976px

>>2151391
That's Lucian correct?

WHERE DA WHITE WYMMIN AT

What's the most recent human ancestor that had a tail of any kind?

File: GWTD_1516_4_newhominoidgraphic.jpg (185KB, 1080x720px) Image search: [Google] [Yandex] [Bing]

185KB, 1080x720px

>>2152805
Probably something like pliopithecus or victoriapithecus. I know proconsul and pliobates didn't

File: lucy-exhibit.jpg (382KB, 1000x1000px) Image search: [Google] [Yandex] [Bing]

382KB, 1000x1000px

>all these minature bigfoots