Ancient Bone Tools: A Significant Discovery Reshaping Human Evolution Understanding
Research in Tanzania has revealed the oldest known human-made bone tools, dating back 1.5 million years. These tools, made from elephant and hippo bones, challenge previous understandings of early human intelligence. Led by Ignacio de la Torre, the study shows early hominins adapted stone-working techniques for bone, indicating significant cognitive progress.
Recent discoveries at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania have unearthed the oldest known human-made bone tools, dating back approximately 1.5 million years. These ancient tools were crafted from elephant and hippopotamus leg bones and predate the next oldest shaped bone tools by a million years, significantly reshaping the existing narrative on early human intelligence and capabilities.
The research, spearheaded by Ignacio de la Torre from the Spanish National Research Council, highlights that early hominins employed a technique known as “knapping,” traditionally associated with stone tool production. This method entails using one stone to strike another, yielding sharp edges. The evidence suggests an important cognitive advancement in adapting stone-working skills to bone materials.
De la Torre stated, “The hominins who made these tools knew how to incorporate technical innovations by adapting their stone-working knowledge to bone. This finding reflects advances in their cognitive abilities and mental structures.” The team meticulously analyzed 27 bone fragments, confirming that early hominins deliberately shaped these tools, distinguishing them from those altered by natural processes.
Tools crafted from elephant, hippo, and a cow-like species’ bones ranged from 8.6 to 15 inches in length, indicating their suitability for substantial tasks such as processing animal carcasses. However, it remains undetermined which hominin species were responsible for creating these tools, though both Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei inhabited the area around 1.5 million years ago.
The implications of these findings suggest that early hominins were pioneering bone tool usage long before the advent of larger stone implements like hand axes. Co-author Renata Peters from University College London expressed enthusiasm about these discoveries, highlighting their importance, “It shows that human ancestors were capable of transferring skills from stone to bone, a level of complex cognition that we haven’t seen elsewhere for another million years.”
The recent discovery of ancient bone tools in Tanzania provides critical insights into early human evolution, emphasizing the advanced cognitive abilities of hominins. Crafted from the bones of large animals, these tools suggest not only innovative use of available materials but also a remarkable transition in skill adaptation. This research serves to deepen our understanding of early hominin intelligence and their ability to utilize diverse resources effectively.
Original Source: caliber.az
