Study reveals Lucy and early hominins may have used tools 3.2 million years ago

A recent study has challenged previous ᴀssumptions about early human tool use by examining the hand structure of ancient hominins, specifically the Australopithecus genus.

Study reveals Lucy and early hominins may have used tools 3.2 million years agoModel of a female Australopithecus afarensis at Natural History Museum, Vienna. Credit: digitonin, via Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0

This analysis, conducted by researchers from Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and published in the Journal of Human Evolution, focuses on muscle attachment sites in the hands of three Australopithecus species: A. afarensis, A. africanus, and A. sediba. The findings reveal that these species may have been capable of complex manual tasks previously thought unique to the Homo genus.

Traditionally, researchers ᴀssumed that the hands of Australopithecus species were not dexterous enough for tool-making, which was believed to have emerged with later hominins like Homo habilis. However, a detailed examination of the hand muscles, tendons, and bone attachment sites suggests that some Australopithecus species may have developed early tool-manipulation capabilities over three million years ago, well before the emergence of Homo. The lead researcher, Jana Kunze, explained, “This unique functionality provided early hominins with the dexterity needed to manipulate objects — including tools — effectively, paving the way for both technological and cultural progress.”

The study used 3D models to reconstruct the biomechanics of hand bones and analyzed entheses (muscle attachment sites) to understand how these hands were used. These adaptations in A. afarensis (famous for the “Lucy” specimen), A. africanus, and A. sediba indicate varying levels of humanlike and apelike hand traits, suggesting that each species likely engaged in different kinds of manual behaviors, potentially including tool use.

Study reveals Lucy and early hominins may have used tools 3.2 million years agoEntheses of the first ray. 1) Depiction of the entheses delineated on the right first metacarpal of Basel STJ-0264 (left), recent modern human, and Pan troglodytes 51205 (right). 1a) Medial view with the delineation of the first dorsal interosseus enthesis; 1b) palmar view; 1c) lateral view with the delineations of the opponens pollicis and abductor pollicis longus entheses. 2) Depiction of the entheses delineated on the right first proximal phalanx of Basel STJ-0264 (left), recent modern human, and Pan troglodytes 51205 (right). 2a) Medial view with the delineation of the adductor pollicis enthesis; 2b) palmar view; 2c) lateral view with delineation of the abductor pollicis–flexor pollicis brevis enthesis. Credit: J. Kunze et al., Journal of Human Evolution (2024).

Australopithecus sediba, which lived approximately 2 million years ago, had the most humanlike hand anatomy, featuring a strong pinky muscle that suggests a capacity for precision gripping similar to later human species. This may have enabled A. sediba to engage in tasks requiring power grasping and intricate manipulation. “The co-evolution of the thumb and pinky were decisive for hominin biocultural evolution,” Kunze remarked, adding that this anatomical foundation set the stage for advanced dexterity in Homo species. In contrast, the older A. afarensis, which lived around 3 million years ago, displayed a blend of traits that allowed both climbing and rudimentary manual manipulation, suggesting that these early hominins may have used their hands for both locomotion and simple tool tasks.

The discovery of 3.3-million-year-old stone tools at the Lomekwi site in Kenya in 2015 sparked speculation that A. afarensis might have been capable of tool use. The new study adds weight to this hypothesis, with study co-author Fotios Alexandros Karakostis commenting “While we can’t definitively say that these early humans crafted stone tools, our findings demonstrate that their hands were frequently used in ways that closely align with the actions necessary for human tool manipulation.” Though there is no direct evidence linking A. afarensis to the Lomekwi tools, the structural adaptations in its hand anatomy imply some capacity for grasping and handling objects.

Study reveals Lucy and early hominins may have used tools 3.2 million years agoThe skeleton of an Australopithecus sediba at the Natural History Museum in London, England. Credit: Emőke Dénes, CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall, this study suggests that Australopithecus species were capable of humanlike manipulation patterns, hinting that the development of tool use and its cultural significance began earlier than once thought. This discovery reframes our understanding of early hominin behavior.

More information: Kunze, J., Harvati, K., H๏τz, G., & Karakostis, F. A. (2024). Humanlike manual activities in Australopithecus. Journal of Human Evolution, 196(103591), 103591. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103591

Related Posts

Roman cavalry swords lead to discovery of Iron Age settlement and possible Roman villa in Gloucestershire

Roman cavalry swords lead to discovery of Iron Age settlement and possible Roman villa in Gloucestershire

A recent archaeological discovery near Willersey, Gloucestershire, has uncovered an Early Iron Age to Roman-period settlement following the discovery by a novice metal detectorist of two extremely…

Copper Age infant discovered in Italian well reveals rare genetic origins

Copper Age infant discovered in Italian well reveals rare genetic origins

Archaeologists in northeastern Italy have discovered a remarkable find in a well near Faenza, close to Ravenna: the highly degraded remains of an infant who lived 4,000…

Fisherman uncovers remarkably preserved medieval sword in Warsaw’s Vistula River

Fisherman uncovers remarkably preserved medieval sword in Warsaw’s Vistula River

In an unprecedented and rare find, a sword dating back to the medieval period was pulled out of the bottom of the Vistula River by a fisherman…

Ancient sloth bone from Uruguay shows signs of possible human-inflicted trauma 33,000 years ago

Ancient sloth bone from Uruguay shows signs of possible human-inflicted trauma 33,000 years ago

Researchers have discovered evidence of human interaction with megafauna considerably earlier than the widely accepted arrival of humans in South America. A 33,000-year-old right calcaneus (heel bone)…

Forgotten Indigenous child slaves of New France revealed in new studies

Forgotten Indigenous child slaves of New France revealed in new studies

Historical accounts between 1632 and 1760 show a chilling reality: 734 Indigenous children were enslaved in France’s North American colony. These children, torn from their families and…

Exceptionally preserved Roman wicker well with ladder unearthed in Norfolk

Exceptionally preserved Roman wicker well with ladder unearthed in Norfolk

Archaeologists at Oxford Archaeology have uncovered an astonishingly well-preserved Roman-era well in Norfolk, England, that offers rare insight into the lives of people in Roman Britain some…