Re: Habilis and robusticity notes

Alex Duncan (aduncan@mail.utexas.edu)
17 Jul 1995 18:48:22 GMT

In article <JRSHARPE.3.3009C212@MECHANICAL.watstar.uwaterloo.ca> J
Sharpe, JRSHARPE@MECHANICAL.watstar.uwaterloo.ca writes:

>Oldowan Tool Industry
>====================
>. used by the Australopithicenes in africa

As far as I know, whenever Olduwan tools are found an any kind of
association with Australopithecus, Homo is also present. We can't rule
out the possibility that the australopiths did make and use stone tools,
but we don't have any concrete evidence that they did. (I've heard a
snide suggestion that the only evidence that would be acceptable would be
an australopith fossilized IN THE ACT of making a stone tool.)

Alex Duncan
Dept. of Anthropology
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712-1086
512-471-4206
aduncan@mail.utexas.edu