A genus name for an early or primitive human ancestor, no longer in standard use in modern paleoanthropology.
From Greek eo- (dawn, early) plus anthropus (human). The name means 'early human' and was created when scientists thought they'd found transitional human ancestors.
Eoanthropus is a fascinating dead-end in science history—it was based on the 'Piltdown Man' hoax, one of the most embarrassing scientific frauds ever, which shows why peer review and skepticism matter so much.
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