Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/7449
Full metadata record
DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorDavidson, Iainen
dc.contributor.authorNowell, Aprilen
local.source.editorEditor(s): April Nowell and Iain Davidsonen
dc.date.accessioned2011-05-17T17:02:00Z-
dc.date.issued2010-
dc.identifier.citationStone Tools and the Evolution of Human Cognition, p. 1-11en
dc.identifier.isbn9781607320319en
dc.identifier.isbn9781607320302en
dc.identifier.isbn1607320304en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/7449-
dc.description.abstractIn the 1960s Mary and Louis Leakey uncovered 1.8 million-year-old stone tools at the site of Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. These tools, which archaeologists called the Oldowan industry, were later associated with 'Homo habilis', the first member of the genus 'Homo'. This was a significant discovery because relative to older hominin species that were not thought to be tool users, 'H. habilis' had a larger brain size and possessed anatomical features reminiscent of later species (e.g., reduced molar size, flatter face). Increasing cranial capacity, tool use, and more modern-looking features fit together in the story of what made humans unique. In fact, for the first time the use of material culture was included in the official definition of a species (Leakey, Tobias, and Napier 1964) - and thus the phrase "Man the Tool Maker" was coined (Oakley 1952). Since that time, our knowledge of the relationship between stone tools and the evolving human brain has grown and the resulting picture is predictably more complex. The earliest known stone tools now date to approximately 2.7 to 2.5 million years ago (mya) (Semaw 2000) whereas hominin evolution can be traced back using the fossil record to between 7.0 and 6.0 mya (see Wood 2002). Researchers question whether the "sudden" appearance of the Oldowan is the result of a dramatic change in cognitive abilities or the transition to a more archaeologically visible medium. One way to think about this is to consider the niche that was opened by the use of stone tools. Davidson and McGrew (2005; see also Davidson, Chapter 9) have suggested that the permanence of stone tools and the products of knapping on the landscape made a distinctive difference to the pattern of cognitive evolution. It also seems likely that 'H. habilis' was not the only stone tool maker and user. Depending on how many species one recognizes between 2.5 and 1.5 mya, up to as many as eight hominin species have been found in direct or indirect association with stone tools (Toth and Schick, 2005). In addition, there is now good evidence that early hominins were using bone tools (Backwell and d'Errico 2001, 2008).en
dc.languageenen
dc.publisherUniversity Press of Coloradoen
dc.relation.ispartofStone Tools and the Evolution of Human Cognitionen
dc.relation.isversionof1en
dc.titleIntroduction and Overviewen
dc.typeBook Chapteren
dc.subject.keywordsArchaeology of Australia (excl Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander)en
dc.subject.keywordsArchaeology of Europe, the Mediterranean and the Levanten
dc.subject.keywordsPsychology and Cognitive Sciencesen
dc.subject.keywordsArchaeological Scienceen
dc.subject.keywordsArchaeology of Asia, Africa and the Americasen
local.contributor.firstnameIainen
local.contributor.firstnameAprilen
local.subject.for2008210104 Archaeology of Australia (excl Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander)en
local.subject.for2008210105 Archaeology of Europe, the Mediterranean and the Levanten
local.subject.for2008210103 Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Americasen
local.subject.for2008210102 Archaeological Scienceen
local.subject.for2008179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classifieden
local.subject.seo2008950503 Understanding Australias Pasten
local.subject.seo2008950501 Understanding Africas Pasten
local.subject.seo2008950502 Understanding Asias Pasten
local.identifier.epublicationsvtls086546723en
local.profile.schoolAdministrationen
local.profile.schoolArchaeol and Palaeoanthropologyen
local.profile.emailidavidso@une.edu.auen
local.profile.emailanowell@uvic.caen
local.output.categoryB1en
local.record.placeauen
local.record.institutionUniversity of New Englanden
local.identifier.epublicationsrecordune-20101210-105121en
local.publisher.placeBoulder, United States of Americaen
local.identifier.totalchapters10en
local.format.startpage1en
local.format.endpage11en
local.contributor.lastnameDavidsonen
local.contributor.lastnameNowellen
dc.identifier.staffune-id:idavidsoen
local.profile.orcid0000-0003-1840-9704en
local.profile.roleauthoren
local.profile.roleauthoren
local.identifier.unepublicationidune:7617en
dc.identifier.academiclevelAcademicen
local.title.maintitleIntroduction and Overviewen
local.output.categorydescriptionB1 Chapter in a Scholarly Booken
local.relation.urlhttp://trove.nla.gov.au/work/37007490en
local.relation.urlhttp://www.upcolorado.com/book/Stone_Tools_and_the_Evolution_of_Human_Cognition_Clothen
local.search.authorDavidson, Iainen
local.search.authorNowell, Aprilen
local.uneassociationUnknownen
local.year.published2010en
Appears in Collections:Book Chapter
Files in This Item:
3 files
File Description SizeFormat 
Show simple item record

Page view(s)

1,308
checked on Aug 11, 2024

Download(s)

2
checked on Aug 11, 2024
Google Media

Google ScholarTM

Check


Items in Research UNE are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.