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Re: technology and intelligence
Mr J.M. Ottevanger (J.Ottevanger@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK)
Fri, 10 Feb 1995 17:49:42 +0000
according to Brain, the types of tools (stone and bone) found at Swartkrans do
a very good job of digging up bulbs, tubers etc. of the sorts found in the
area today. It seems to me that even if they only did the job a bit better than
could be done by hand, that's better than nothing and the ability to make such
tools would then be selected for (as discussed in my posting to Rob Quinlan).
Also, don't forget the use that certain chimp societies make of hammers and
anvils to crack nuts (although how much all the invested effort pays off
energetically perhaps varies, see Gunther and Boesch). I don'tknow the answer
really....nature, green in tooth and claw....
Jeremy.
In the last mail Todd N Nims said:
>
> I may be reading this wrong but do plant eaters need hand choppers to
> attack and kill a wild plant? From what I have read the robust A.'s had
> no use for tools...and possibly the only connection to hand choppers they
> had was at the business end of one. Maybe Im confused about what was
> said....let me know.
>
> Todd N. Nims
> {nimstod@mallard.duc.auburn.edu}
> Auburn University, AL
>
> >
>
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