What are australopiths, how many groups are there, and what do they date to? Which one is derived and therefore not part of our direct evolutionary line?

Answer and Explanation:

Australopithecines were a group of ancestral animals that were very similar to chimpanzees, but had common characteristics with humans, which is something normal, when we think that these animals are one of the ancestors of human beings. These animals walked on two legs, like humans, but they had very small brains and teeth that were bigger and heavier than those of humans. There were eight groups of australopithecines and they date from 8 million to 1.5 million years ago.

Among these groups, it is believed that Australopithecus afarensis is a group that has no direct ancestry with humans, being a group that did not thrive during the evolutionary process.