Re: Genus names
cc3265@albnyvms.bitnet
22 Feb 1995 04:49:06 GMT
In article <D4DEL9.LKD@zeno.fit.edu>, fgeenhzn@iu.net (Faybienne Geenhuizen) writes:
>I have _The First Humans_ too. That was where I saw the names
>_Australopithecus boisei/robustus_ and _Paranthropus boisei/
>robustus_ on the same page (p. 50). I thought maybe it was
>just another American vs. British thing.
>
>In physical anthropology we learned to call all the hominids
>Australopithecus up to _Homo habilis_, which was the maker
>and user of the Oldowan tools. Now this semester our
>cultural anthropology professor says the Oldowan tools
>were made and used by Australopithecines. Ok. I guess
>what they're teaching us is that there is diversity of
>opinion about many things in anthropology. We don't
Actually, the tools were found associated with *both* A.boisei and
H.habilis. Leakey found "Zinj" (the boisei) first and named him the
user of the tools. Then he found habilis, who was much more "human"
looking and changed his mind. However, I don't think it would be
any big surprise to find out Australopithecines were using tools --
after all, chimps do it.
C.R.Cooper, Dept. of Anthropology, SUNY Albany
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