An archeologist discovers several skeletons and a collection of stone tools of the same age in a cave. The individuals were clearly bipedal. The skull showed that the individual had a small brain (compared to modern humans) and ape-like teeth. Which of the following did the archeologist most likely discover?

Question

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The combination of bipedalism, small brain size, and ape-like teeth suggest that the individuals found in the cave were likely Australopithecus afarensis, an early hominid species that lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. Homo habilis, Neandertals, and Homo sapiens all had larger brains and less primitive teeth than Australopithecus afarensis, making them unlikely candidates for the fossils found in the cave.

An Archeologist Discovers Several Skeletons and a Collection of Stone