hominid

hominid
/hom"euh nid/, n. Anthropol.
any of the modern or extinct bipedal primates of the family Hominidae, including all species of the genera Homo and Australopithecus. See illus. in next columns.
Also, homonid, hominian /hoh min"ee euhn/.
[1885-90; < NL Hominidae, equiv. to L homin- (s. of homo) man (see HOMO) + -idae -ID2]

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Any creature of the family Hominidae (order Primates), of which only one species exists today
Homo sapiens, or human beings.

Extinct species of the family are indicated in fossil remains, some of which are now quite well known: Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Ardipithecus ramidus, and various species of Australopithecus. The family most closely related to the Hominidae today is the Pongidae, or anthropoid apes, including the gorilla, the chimpanzee, and the orangutan. These are believed to have diverged from a common ancestral line about 11 to about 5 million years ago. The physical characteristics that distinguish hominids from the pongids are erect posture, bipedal locomotion, rounded skulls with larger brains, small teeth (including unspecialized canines), and behavioral characteristics such as communication through language.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • hominid — HOMINÍD, hominizi, s.m. (La pl.) Familie de primate cuprinzând omul şi precursorii săi fosili din perioada cuaternară (Hominidae); (şi la sg.) reprezentant al acestei familii. – Din fr. hominides. Trimis de gall, 16.10.2007. Sursa: DEX 98 … …   Dicționar Român

  • hominid — (n.) 1889, family of mammals represented by man, from Mod.L. Hominidæ the biological family name, coined 1825 from L. homo (gen. hominis) man (see HOMUNCULUS (Cf. homunculus)). As an adjective from 1915 …   Etymology dictionary

  • hominid — ► NOUN Zoology ▪ a member of a family of primates which includes humans and their fossil ancestors. ORIGIN from Latin homo man …   English terms dictionary

  • hominid — [häm′ə nid] n. [< ModL Hominidae < L homo (gen. hominis): see HOMO1 & IDAE] any of a family (Hominidae) of two legged primates including all forms of humans, extinct and living …   English World dictionary

  • Hominid — A hominid is any member of the biological family Hominidae (the great apes ), including the extinct and extant humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. This classification has been revised several times in the last few decades. These… …   Wikipedia

  • hominid — hominian hominian, hominid hominid . Any animal of the family {Hominidae}, including modern man as well as extinct species of the genera {Homo} and {Australopithecus}. Syn: homonid. [WordNet 1.5 +PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hominid — Menschenaffen Systematik Überordnung: Euarchontoglires Ordnung: Primaten (Primates) Unterordnung: Trockennasenaffen (Haplorhini) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • hominid — UK [ˈhɒmɪnɪd] / US [ˈhɑmənɪd] noun [countable] Word forms hominid : singular hominid plural hominids a human, or an ancient creature from which humans developed …   English dictionary

  • hominid — hominian hominian hominid hominidadj. characterizing the family {Hominidae}, which includes {Homo sapiens} sapiens as well as extinct species of manlike creatures. [Narrower terms: {human (vs. nonhuman) ] WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hominid — noun Etymology: New Latin Hominidae, from Homin , Homo + idae Date: circa 1889 any of a family (Hominidae) of erect bipedal primate mammals comprising recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms • hominid adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Hominid — Ho|mi|nid, der; en, en, (häufiger:) Ho|mi|ni|de, der; n, n [zu lat. homo, ↑ 1Homo u. griech. eide̅̓s = gestaltig] (Biol.): Vertreter einer Familie von Lebewesen, die aus dem heutigen Menschen u. seinen Vorläufern sowie den Menschenaffen besteht.… …   Universal-Lexikon

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