protohominidadj.n.
/ˌprəʊtə(ʊ)ˈhɒmᵻnɪd/, U.S. /ˌproʊdoʊˈhɑmənəd/, /ˌproʊdoʊˈhɑməˌnɪd/ A. adj.
Of or relating to primitive hominids, or to evolutionary ancestors of the hominids.
ΚΠ
1930 Sci. Monthly Dec. 521/2 Probably the ability to be so endowed with a great cortex was bequeathed to man by his protohominid ancestors.
1961 Amer. Anthropologist 63 705 Let me suggest the possibility of setting up an operations research..project on the logical properties of proto-hominid big game hunting.
1996 Sci. Amer. Oct. 101/3 Contrast those protohominid fossils of the African Rift: famous little Lucy..is about 10 times the age of any sapiens find anywhere.
B. n.
A primitive hominid; an evolutionary ancestor of the hominds.
ΚΠ
1936 J. R. de la H. Marett Race, Sex, & Environm. vi. 139/1 (table) Small social proto-hominid.
1971 Current Anthropol. 12 380/3 He also claims that these protohominids of 25 million years ago were hunters.
2005 C. Stross Accelerando ix. 406 They can't get ahead any more than a protohominid could hack it as a rocket scientist.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, September 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.n.1930