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EVIDENCE THAT LUCY USED TOOLS 3.2 MILLION YEARS AGO  
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Dario Radley
November 13, 2024
Archeology Magazine
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_ A recent study has challenged previous assumptions about early
human tool use by examining the hand structure of ancient hominins,
specifically the Australopithecus genus. _

Model 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
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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 assumed 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 ago]
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Entheses 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 ago]
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The skeleton of an Australopithecus sediba at the Natural History
Museum in London, England. Credit: Emőke Dénes, CC BY-SA 4.0
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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., Hotz, G., & Karakostis, F.
A. (2024). Humanlike manual activities in Australopithecus. _Journal
of Human Evolution_, _196_(103591),
103591. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103591
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