1988/05/06 by Randall L. Susman · 4 citations
Psychology · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Primate Behavior and Ecology #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
paper · doi:10.1126/science.3129783
openalex publication_date 1988/05/06 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
New hand fossils from Swartkrans (dated at about 1.8 million years ago) indicate that the hand of Paranthropus robustus was adapted for precision grasping. Functional morphology suggests that Paranthropus could have used tools, possibly for plant procurement and processing. The new fossils further suggest that absence of tool behavior was not responsible for the demise of the "robust" lineage. Conversely, these new fossils indicate that the acquisition of tool behavior does not account for the emergence and success of early Homo.