Homo not the only tool maker... discovered by accident

Stone tools have pretty much been thought to be the handiwork of our genus Homo.

That is in a state of change. The Austrolopiths were not considered big brained enough or smart enough to manufacture stone tools.

Some questioning of that has been made in recent years due to the fact that bones of the hand in the more primitive genus would allow for tool making.

Australopithecus africanus and other Pleistocene hominins, traditionally considered not to have made stone tools, have a human-like trabecular bone pattern in their hand bones that’s consistent with tool use.

A new site in Kenya is further supporting this.

The site is 3.3 million years old and is already linked to Kenyanthropus platyops which is definitely not Homo genus.

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Now, the Lomekwi artifacts show that those ideas are correct – at least one group of ancient hominin started intentionally knapping stones to make tools long before previously thought. These new archaeological finds are yet another paradigm-shifting discovery from the Lake Turkana basin.

As is often the case this site was discovered by accident after taking a wrong turn but feeling a good feel about the place. The team fanned out and it wasn't long before someone stumble upon an artifact.

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Many of my best finds have simply been from getting a feeling about a place when running around doing field work.

I have often picked up the best artifacts within a couple of minutes of arrival and then when going back later only to find not much more of interest is easily accessible.

I always find it interesting how it works out that way, in many areas of science.... there is the hard diligent graft and then there is the accidental discovery and the stroke of inspiration.