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Brain, Teeth and Cranium
Australopithecus afarensis featured smaller teeth than many other hominids, yet they were still larger than modern human teeth. The now-extinct hominid also had a small brain size, around 400 cubic centimeters; however, despite that small brain size, Australopithecus afarensis was bipedal. The animal's jaw was also extended, protruding out from the chin.
Dates of Existence
Scientists believe that Australopithecus afarensis is approximately 3.5 million years old, becoming extinct around 2 million years ago. The oldest fossils found to date were discovered at the Sterkfontein, Makapansgat, Gladysvale and Taung sites. The fossils themselves date to between 2.9 and 2.4 million years ago, during the Pliocene Era. The oldest fossil dates back to about 3.5 million years ago.
Social Behavior
Because of the scarcity of evidence available about Australopithecus, it is difficult to discern with any certainty what the social behavior of the hominid was. However, scientists believe that since Australopithecus was physically similarity to modern apes, its behavior might have been similar too. Evidence suggests that Australopithecus afarensis lived in small familial groupings centered around a dominant male and several females with whom he would breed.
Sexual Dimorphism
Fossil evidence strongly suggests pronounced sexual dimorphism among Australopithecus afarensis. The males of the species were much larger than the females, at approximately twice the size in both bulk and height. This meant that males would most likely compete for female attention and mating privileges -- a characteristic common to most mammals.