Fossil Evidence for Early Hominid Tool Use

Although several Plio-Pleistocene hominids are found in association with stone and bone tools, it has been generally assumed that at any one time the hominid with the largest brain was the toolmaker. Fossils recovered over the last decade suggest that early hominids subsequent to 2.5 million years a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1994-09, Vol.265 (5178), p.1570-1573
Main Author: Susman, Randall L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anatomy & physiology
Animals
Anthropology
Biomechanical Phenomena
Bones
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Fingers
Flexors
Fossils
Hand - anatomy & histology
Hand - physiology
Hand bones
History of medicine
History, Ancient
Hominidae
Hominidae - anatomy & histology
Humans
Marine and continental quaternary
Metacarpophalangeal joint
Metacarpus - anatomy & histology
Motor Skills
Muscles
Muscles - anatomy & histology
Muscles - physiology
Paleontology
Pan troglodytes - anatomy & histology
Prehistoric peoples
Prehistoric tools
Space life sciences
Stone tools
Surficial geology
Thumb
Tools, Prehistoric
Vertebrate paleontology
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Summary:Although several Plio-Pleistocene hominids are found in association with stone and bone tools, it has been generally assumed that at any one time the hominid with the largest brain was the toolmaker. Fossils recovered over the last decade suggest that early hominids subsequent to 2.5 million years ago all might have used tools and occupied "cultural" niches. A test for humanlike precision grasping (the enhanced ability to manipulate tools) is proposed and applied to australopithecines and early Homo. The results indicate that tools were likely to have been used by all early hominids at around 2.0 million years ago. The earliest australopithecines, which predate the appearance of stone tools in the archaeological record, do not show signs of advanced precision grasping.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.8079169