Beyond the genus stereotype. Who were the first toolmarkers in Africa? Crossed views between archaeology and anatomy

Prat, Sandrine

doi:10.1016/j.anthro.2023.103187

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 186 publications

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“…Similarly, the cut-marked fossils from Dikikka are linked to A. afarensis 5 . Early Oldowan assemblages, dating from between 2.9-2 million years ago, exhibit both geographic and temporal overlap with species such as Paranthropus and Homo habilis 7,[9][10][11] . Stone tool technology, therefore, was likely an adaptive strategy employed by multiple hominin species 1,12,13 and its emergence may have experienced multiple periods of innovation and loss throughout the Pliocene leading eventually to its widespread adoption during the Oldowan 10.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flake production is a universal primate phenomenon

Proffitt,

de Sousa Medeiros,

Martins

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The evolution of stone tool technology marks a significant milestone in hominin development, enabling early humans to manipulate their environments. The oldest known evidence, dating to 3.3 million years ago, indicates a combination of percussive and flake production activities. Studying primate stone tool use provides valuable insights into the origins of this technology. We present a new lithic assemblage of yellow-breasted capuchins (Sapajus xanthosternos) at Fazenda Matos, Brazil, to understand the variability associated with the material signature of the emergence of stone flake technology in the hominin lineage. Tool use at this site is confirmed through remote camera traps and a substantial stone tool material record. Eleven nut-cracking sites were identified based on the presence of anvils, hammerstones, and processed nut debris. A technological analysis of all lithic material from these sites demonstrates that percussive activities such as nut cracking produces a diverse material signature similar to other primate percussive lithic assemblages. This includes hammerstones with substantial percussive damage and a range of flaked and detached pieces. Comparative analyses with other recently described flaked primate assemblages from Thailand and Brazil and hominin Plio-Pleistocene assemblages reveals that unintentional flake production is a universal component of primate percussive behaviours, suggesting that similar behaviours in early hominins could have led to stone flake technology. The dimensions of such lithic artifacts may relate more to raw material properties than the tool user's morphology or skill, emphasizing the need to consider a broad spectrum of material records in understanding the origins of hominin stone technology.

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