Australopithecus There are many types of the hominid called australopithecus, which means southern apes. These were small ape-like creatures(with a height between 107cm and 152cm) that showed evidence of walking upright. It is difficult to tell whether these begins are "humans" or "apes". Many of their characteristics are split between humans and apes. The many species of australopithecus include A.(australopithecus) ramidus, A. anamenesis, A. afarensis, A. africanus, A . acthiopicus, A. robustus, and A. boisei. The oldest known and identified species of australopithecus that roamed the earth was a. ramidus who lived about 4.5 million years ago. Next came A. Anamensis, A af