👉 The term "australopithecine" is used to describe a species of apes that lived during the late Cretaceous period, around 68 million years ago. This group included humans and other hominids, including Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo sapiens. The name "australopithecine" comes from the words "Australi" (meaning "the land of the Australians") and "pit
