Tools and Evolution

Running Head: BIOLOGY 1
How did the use of tools play a role in the evolution of humans?
Name
Instructor
Course
Date
BIOLOGY 2
1-How did the use of tools play a role in the evolution of humans?
More than 140 years ago, Charles Darwin speculated that cultural behavior like stone tool
use influenced biological evolution. Evolution is a natural change of species characterization due
to adaptation and natural selection over successive generations. According to anthropologists at
the University of Kent, Charles Darwin speculation on tool use by our ancestors was indeed
influenced by the evolution of unique features in the human hand. The features of our hand’s
bones, muscles, and wrist were linked to certain movements like gripping and other manipulator
movements that are adapted for different functions as compared to other common ancestors.
Moreover, the use of simple cutting tools has been associated with natural selection for hands of
our ancestors, which is explained by use of stone flakes about 2.6 million years ago. Results
presented were significant correlation between biometric variation and task efficiency (Key,
2011). An article by Choi (2009) stated that stone tools are currently used by scientists in order
to determine the evolution pattern of human brains over time since tools are products of our
brains. The humans have created millions of different tools, which can help scientists tell how
we evolved based on the sophistication and development of tools over time.
2-Is tool use a trait unique to humans, or are there other animals that use tools? If so, how
do other animals use tools?
Looking at our world today, we can see that almost all of the inventions and development
today are created by humans. Humans have used tool more than 2 million years ago for survival
purposes like cutting, crushing, and obtaining meat from animals. Evidences show that stone
tools were used to butcher large animals as seen in cutting marks of fossil bones. Other
evidences showed tools used for cooking, hunting, carving, and fishing (Smithsonian, 2018).
However, some animals also utilize tools for daily purposes like the chimpanzees that make tools
BIOLOGY 3
for searching ants or termites. They also create stone anvil and hammer stone for opening oil
palm nuts, sharpened spears for hunting, and prepared sticks for searching ants. On the other
hand, crows use their beaks to pick up sticks as a tool to scoop food and open shells (Feltman,
2016). Archerfish are known for shooting waterjets to hunt their prey above and underwater.
Study by Stefan Schuster stated that archerfish use their jets as tools, which is similar in the way
human uses spears (Coghlan, 2017). Tools are not unique to humans since other animals utilize
make-shift and simple tools as part of their survival.
3-When do scientists believe that either Homo sapiens, or an ancestor of Homo sapiens,
first began to use tools. What is the evidence that supports this conclusion?
Tools are very essential in human’s survival because it is used for a variety of purposes
like hunting and eating. Anthropologists excavated thousands of archeological sites and found
different hominin species have used tools since the dawn of their time. Studies have shown the
use of earliest stone tools in Early Stone Age (2.6 million years ago) by Oldowans, which
comprised stone flakes, hammer stones, and stone cores. These were found in Lokalalei, Kenya
and dated to be around 2.3 million years ago (Smithsonian, 2018). Sharp stones and hammer
stones shows battering on their surfaces, and stone cores show flake scars around the edges.
Early humans have also created the Acheulean hand axes, for a variety of purposes, around 1.7
million years ago found in Asia, Africa, and Europe. These evidences are supported by stone tool
use in human evolution and meat-eating of early humans. Homo rufolfensis used stone tools and
ate meats and plants around 1.8 million years ago while Homo habilis were species linked to the
origin of tool making behavior, thus, the name “handy man”. Other studies present evidences
that dates butchering of fossilized bones around 3.4 million years ago at the time of
Australopithecus afarensis, which is known as the first human ancestor tool maker and meat
BIOLOGY 4
lover (Pobiner, 2016). Scientists are currently gathering more evidences to determine if Homo
was the first stone tool makers.
References:
Choi, C. Q. (2009, November 11). Human Evolution: The Origin of Tool Use. Retrieved from
https://www.livescience.com/7968-human-evolution-origin-tool.html
Coghlan, A. (n.d.). Spitting archerfish shoot at prey above and beneath the water. Retrieved from
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2118582-spitting-archerfish-shoot-at-prey-above-
and-beneath-the-water/
Early Stone Age Tools. (2018, September 14). Retrieved from
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/behavior/stone-tools/early-stone-age-tools
Feltman, R. (2016, October 19). These monkeys are creating tools thought to be unique to
humans - by accident. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-
of-science/wp/2016/10/19/these-monkeys-are-creating-tools-thought-to-be-unique-to-
humans-by-accident/?utm_term=.2e690e588b9a
Key, A. J., & Lycett, S. J. (2011). Technology based evolution? A biometric test of the effects of
handsize versus tool form on efficiency in an experimental cutting task. Journal of
Archaeological Science, 38(7), 1663-1670. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.02.032
Pobiner, B., Smithsonian, & Human Origins Program. (2018, October 02). The First Butchers.
Retrieved from https://www.sapiens.org/evolution/homo-sapiens-and-tool-making/
Tools & Food. (2018, September 14). Retrieved from http://humanorigins.si.edu/human-
characteristics/tools-food

Tools and Evolution

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Tools and Evolution

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Tools and Evolution

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Running Head: BIOLOGY 1

to adaptation and natural selection over successive generations. According to anthropologists at

we evolved based on the sophistication and development of tools over time.

do other animals use tools?

make-shift and simple tools as part of their survival.

was the first stone tool makers.

Early Stone Age Tools. (2018, September 14). Retrieved from

humans - by accident. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-

handsize versus tool form on efficiency in an experimental cutting task. Journal of

Archaeological Science, 38(7), 1663-1670. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.02.032

Retrieved from https://www.sapiens.org/evolution/homo-sapiens-and-tool-making/

Tools & Food. (2018, September 14). Retrieved from http://humanorigins.si.edu/human-

You might also like