Australopithecus classification

[Ken Kinman]

Dear All,
      I decided to make one more post which adds a bit of detail to
supplement my classification posted a couple of days ago (which classified
apes in general).   Although the known remains of A. platyops are younger
than those of A. anamensis, it could be a "ghost lineage" problem, and older
specimens of platyops could well be found eventually if this phylogeny is
correct.
      As for the similarities of A. platyops and genus Homo, the big
question is whether they are convergent or really indicative of a closer
relationship.  If the latter, then the exgroup marker {{Homo}} would have to
be moved up next to platyops (or at least closer to it).
       Whether tugenensis (Orrorin) belongs in this genus or not remains to
be seen as well.  If it does, A. anamensis has quite a "ghost lineage" of
older forms yet to be found, but I frankly wouldn't hold my breath, as more
complete material of tugenensis could throw it (genus Orrorin) closer to
Ardipithecus or even into Family Pongidae.  We shall see eventually.
Anyway, my working classification of Australopithecus is given below
(although I haven't worked on it for over a year).  Paleoanthropologists can
argue and beat on their chests all they want, but we simply do not yet have
enough material to settle these matters.
        -------- Cheers,
                     Ken Kinman

  Australopithecus
      1   platyops
      2   anamensis
      ?   tugenensis
      3   afarensis
      4   aethiopicus
      B   boisei
      ?   robustus
      5   africanus
      6   garhi
      7  {{Homo}}

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