猿人(えんじん)

えんじん
noun
ape-man; early hominid; australopithecine
1. ape-man; early hominid
In anthropology, the earliest stage of human ancestors, such as the australopithecines, regarded as a link between apes and humans. The oldest of the textbook stages 猿人(えんじん) → 原人(げんじん) → 旧人(きゅうじん) → 新人(しんじん).
猿人(えんじん)の化石(かせき)が見(み)つかった。
Fossils of an early hominid were found.
猿人(えんじん)は二足歩行(にそくほこう)をしていたと考(かんが)えられている。
Australopithecines are thought to have walked on two legs.
人類(じんるい)の進化(しんか)は猿人(えんじん)から原人(げんじん)へと段階的(だんかいてき)に進(すす)んだ。
Human evolution proceeded in stages from ape-men to early humans.

A technical term in physical anthropology for the earliest grade of human ancestor.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 猿人(えんじん)の化石(かせき): hominid fossils
  • 初期(しょき)の猿人(えんじん): early hominids
  • 猿人(えんじん)から進化(しんか)する: to evolve from ape-men

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 原人(げんじん): Homo erectus stage — the next grade after 猿人(えんじん)
  • 類人猿(るいじんえん): great ape — living apes such as the gorilla and chimpanzee, not human ancestors
general
Added 2026.6.24 9:19 · Revised 2026.6.26 3:22
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