Coevolution of Stone Tools and Hominin Hand Function
Open Access DepositedHuman evolution has been shaped by a dynamic interplay between biological adaptations and cultural innovations. One of the most compelling examples of this interaction is the relationship between stone tool production and hominin morphological evolution, particularly in the hand and wrist. This thesis explores the coevolutionary dynamics among cultural transmission, stone tool-making behavior, and the anatomical changes that enabled increasingly complex technological traditions. By integrating archaeological data, experimental studies, and by drawing connections to established knowledge of hominin hand morphology, this research examines how shifts in tool-making techniques may have influenced, and been influenced by, changes in hominin hand anatomy and information transfer.This project examines whether the form of flakes can provide insights into the manipulative capabilities of Plio-Pleistocene hominins, and the emergence of information transfer. Following on research on wrist function in stone tool production, this research uses systematic knapping experiments involving Oldowan type flaking to determine if wrist morphology affects flake morphology. The results from the experiment are evaluated using data collected from Oldowan sites in eastern Africa. Observed patterns from the experimental and archaeological data are then used to explore the role of tool manufacture on the origin of hominin hand morphology or vice versa. The experimental and archaeological approaches contribute to the evolutionary models of the interplay between cultural and paleobiological changes. Broadly, the findings of this research indicate that behavioral and morphological changes in the human lineage are deeply interconnected. This reciprocal relationship suggests that shifts in tool-making behaviors may have played a role in shaping anatomical adaptations, just as changes in morphology could have impacted technological advancements. Such findings highlight the complex interplay between biological and cultural evolution, emphasizing that neither process can be fully understood in isolation. This emphasizes the need for an integrated approach to studying human evolution, one that considers both anatomical changes and the cultural innovations that may have driven or been influenced by them.
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