Evidence in hand: recent discoveries and the early evolution of human manual manipulation

Kivell, Tracy L. (2015) Evidence in hand: recent discoveries and the early evolution of human manual manipulation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 370 (1682). pp. 1-11. ISSN 0962-8436. (doi:https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2015.0105) (Full text available)

Abstract

For several decades, it was largely assumed that stone tool use and production were abilities limited to the genus Homo. However, growing palaeontological and archaeological evidence, comparative extant primate studies, as well as results from methodological advancements in biomechanics and morphological analyses, have been gradually accumulating and now provide strong support for more advanced manual manipulative abilities and tool-related behaviours in pre-Homo hominins than has been traditionally recognized. Here, I review the fossil evidence related to early hominin dexterity, including the recent discoveries of relatively complete early hominin hand skeletons, and new methodologies that are providing a more holistic interpretation of hand function, and insight into how our early ancestors may have balanced the functional requirements of both arboreal locomotion and tool-related behaviours.

Item Type:	Article
Projects:	[UNSPECIFIED] GRASP
Subjects:	H Social Sciences H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) Q Science Q Science > QH Natural history Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology Q Science > QM Human anatomy
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation > Biological Anthropology
Depositing User:	Tracy Kivell
Date Deposited:	11 Aug 2016 07:53 UTC
Last Modified:	10 Mar 2017 15:07 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/56810 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)