The bones are about 3.4 million years old and provide the first evidence that Australopithecus afarensis used stone tools and consumed meat. The evolutionary stories of the Swiss Army Knife and the Big Mac just got a lot longer.

ramidus (5.8–4.4 mya)—that is, pre-Australopithecus species that are considered to be ancient humans—and one additional species of early human, Kenyanthropus platyops (3.5 mya).

The research shows that Australopithecus africanus, a three to two million-year-old species from South Africa traditionally considered not to have engaged in habitual tool manufacture, has a human-like trabecular bone pattern in the bones of the thumb and palm (the metacarpals) consistent with forceful opposition of …

Within the superfamily Hominoidea, the family Hominidae (great apes) diverged from the family Hylobatidae (gibbons) some 15–20 million years ago; subfamily Homininae (African apes) diverged from Ponginae (orangutans) about 14 million years ago; the tribe Hominini (including humans, Australopithecus, and chimpanzees) …

Early Stone Age Tools The earliest stone toolmaking developed by at least 2.6 million years ago. The Early Stone Age began with the most basic stone implements made by early humans. These Oldowan toolkits include hammerstones, stone cores, and sharp stone flakes.

Terms in this set (16)

• Pre-Australopithecines.
• Sahelanthropus Tchadensis (7 – 6 mya)
• Orrorin Tugenesis (6 mya)
• Ardipithecus Kadabba (5.8 mya)
• Ardipithecus Ramidus (4.4 mya)
• Australopithecines.
• Australopithecus Anamensis (4 mya)
• Australopithecus (Kenyanthropus) platyops (3.5 mya)

The name Australopithecus africanus literally means ‘southern ape of Africa. ‘ It was named for the fact that it lived in modern-day South Africa. It was the first of many hominid species to be discovered on the African continent.

The bones date to roughly 3.4 million years ago and provide the first evidence that Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis, used stone tools and consumed meat. “Tool use fundamentally altered the way our earliest ancestors interacted with nature, allowing them to eat new types of food and exploit new territories.

Homo habilis
THE GIST. – Until now, the earliest tool-maker was thought to be Homo habilis. – But two fossils found in 2008 suggest these creatures who lived 1.9 million years ago were making tools even earlier. – The new species, Australopithecus sediba, could be the first direct ancestor of the Homo species.

Dart assumed these broken animal bones, teeth and horns were used by Au. africanus as weapons; however, in the 1970s and 1980s, other scientists began to recognize that predators such as lions, leopards, and hyenas were instead responsible for leaving these broken animal bones.

When this small-bodied, small-brained hominin was discovered, it proved that our early human relatives habitually walked on two legs. Its story began to take shape in late November 1974 in Ethiopia, with the discovery of the skeleton of a small female, nicknamed Lucy.