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How do you pronounce this? And does this man (well, not quite) have a plural? In other words, can you put a genus into a plural form?
If you spoke of Carya tomentosa (type of hickory), could you refer to the 'Caryas'? Or whatever would be the Latin plural?
Same for Homo sapiens. Could you refer to the Homos? Or whatever the latinate plural would be? And is Latinate capitalized? (I don't think it is.)
Anyway, will you Latin people please respond to this post because my kids are studying various ages of man (or apes before men) in history and I have no idea how to respond to their questions and I figured you would.
If you don't believe in synchronicity, you should. It was approximately three weeks ago that I randomly began to study an old N'tl Geo chart on the ages of man--and, lo and behold, my kids are studying about those ages in history. Only I can't answer their questions on genus and species yet.
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For starters, you might want to spell it right. Australopithecus. I've heard it pronounced aw-struh-lo-PIH-thuh-cus and aw-struh-lo-pih-thee-cus. Both of those are with a Þ as in think. The plural would be Australopitheci.
The plural of homo is homines. HO-mo and HO-min-ays.
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Dear WW: I don't remember ever seeing plurals used. In many cases, the singular is used when plural is clearly meant. One deer or ten deer. And "man" means all humans irrespective of gender, despite what some nutty activist feminists think.
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And "man" means all humans irrespective of gender, despite what some nutty activist feminists think.
You're right when it comes to man-eating sharks, Dr Bill, but I'll bet you'll change your tune when one of those nutty activist feminists waltzes in to the mens' room while you're busy at the urinal.
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Dear Faldage: I do remember being a bit surprised when in Philippines, a pretty girl asked me if I had laundry for her to wash, as I was straddling slit-trench "making cables."
But she was not femininist activist.
Man cannot live by bread alone. From the Bible, isn't it?
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In reply to:
The plural would be Australopitheci.
OK, OK. Now how do you pronounce 'Australopitheci'?
Thanks for the spelling correction, Faldage. I was doing this by memory with nothing in front of me--and I'm pretty amazed that I recalled as much as I did.
And, wwh, as for not referring to Australopithecus in the plural, I differ with your opinion here simply because there were several species associated with the genus Australopithecus--according to my trusty N'tl Geo chart that I've carried to school to fascinate my students. Therefore, if one were referring to the several varying species of the the Australopithecus group, wouldn't one refer to the Australopitheci Faldage has given us here?
And I really would like to know how to pronounce those A'pitheci. 
Faldage, I promise I will carry the chart to NY in November.
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Australopitheci FaldageAustralopithecus Faldagis? 
formerly known as etaoin...
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That would be:
Australopithecus faldagis, et', since species is generally lower case, but in Faldage's case, who knows? He's always a pretty capital fellow, don't you agree?
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ah, yes, of course! thanks for the correction.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Digging back to my old physical anthro days, I seem to remember them being referred to in the aggregate as Austalopithecines, aw-stral-o-PITH-uh-seens.
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