http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070213142924.htm

Researchers have found evidence that chimpanzees from West Africa were cracking
nuts with stone tools before the advent of agriculture, thousands of years ago.
The result suggests chimpanzees developed this behaviour on their own, or even
that stone tool use was a trait inherited from our common ancestor.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070213142924.htm

Researchers have found evidence that chimpanzees from West
Africa were cracking nuts with stone tools before the advent of
agriculture, thousands of years ago. The result suggests
chimpanzees developed this behaviour on their own, or even that
stone tool use was a trait inherited from our common ancestor.

Julio Mercader, Christophe Boesch and colleagues found the
stones at the Noulo site in Côte d?Ivoire, the only known
prehistoric chimpanzee settlement. The stones they excavated
show the hallmarks of use as tools for smashing nuts when
compared to ancient human or modern chimpanzee stone tools.
Also, they found several types of starch grains on the stones;
part of the residue derived from cracking local nuts. The tools
are 4300 years old, which, in human terms, corresponds to the
Later Stone Age (PNAS, February 2007).
...

This link has a picture of some of the tools

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070212184608.htm

A University of Calgary archaeologist has found the first
prehistoric evidence of chimpanzee technology, adding credence
to the theory that some of humanity's behavioural hallmarks were
actually inherited by both humans and great apes from a common
ancestor.
...

"It's not clear whether we hominins invented this kind of stone
technology, or whether both humans and the great apes inherited
it from a common forebear," says Mercader, also a Canada
Research Chair in Tropical Archaeology. "There weren't any
farmers living in this region 4,300 years ago, so it is unlikely
that chimpanzees picked it up by imitating villagers, like some
scientists used to claim."

The stone hammers that the team discovered, essentially
irregularly shaped rocks about the size of cantaloupes -- with
distinctive patterns of wear -- were used to crack the shells of
nuts. The research demonstrates conclusively that the artifacts
couldn't have been the result of natural erosion or used by
humans. The stones are too large for humans to use easily and
they also have the starch residue from several nuts known to be
staples in the chimpanzee diet, but not the human diet.
...

... the story is embargoed until Feb. 12, 3 pm MST, under
conditions set by editors at PNAS.
...

"Rich Travsky" <traRvE...@hotmMOVEail.com> wrote in message

news:45D2AA77.30D0A4C0@hotmMOVEail.com...



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070213142924.htm

Researchers have found evidence that chimpanzees from West Africa were cracking
nuts with stone tools before the advent of agriculture, thousands of years ago.
The result suggests chimpanzees developed this behaviour on their own, or even
that stone tool use was a trait inherited from our common ancestor.

Clearly hominids were using weapons and tools
-- including stone tools -- from the moment they
speciated. That's why they evolved (right from
the start) the kinds of hands we have now. It's
also why they went bipedal. And it's why they
lost those large canines.

But where are all those fossil stone tools?

Any guesses?

Paul.

On Feb 14, 12:27 pm, "Paul Crowley"

slkwuoiutiuytciu...@slkjlskjoioue.com> wrote:
"Rich Travsky" <traRvE...@hotmMOVEail.com> wrote in message

news:45D2AA77.30D0A4C0@hotmMOVEail.com...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070213142924.htm

Researchers have found evidence that chimpanzees from West Africa were cracking
nuts with stone tools before the advent of agriculture, thousands of years ago.
The result suggests chimpanzees developed this behaviour on their own, or even
that stone tool use was a trait inherited from our common ancestor.

Clearly hominids were using weapons and tools
-- including stone tools -- from the moment they
speciated. That's why they evolved (right from
the start) the kinds of hands we have now. It's
also why they went bipedal. And it's why they
lost those large canines.

But where are all those fossil stone tools?

Any guesses?

Paul.

Can I guess? I'd guess you've been drinking again.
What'd we say about getting plastered and posting
to SAP, Pauly? Can you remember?

"Rich Travsky" <traRvEsky@hotmMOVEail.com> wrote in message
news:45D2AA77.30D0A4C0@hotmMOVEail.com...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070213142924.htm

Researchers have found evidence that chimpanzees from West Africa were
cracking
nuts with stone tools before the advent of agriculture, thousands of
years ago.
The result suggests chimpanzees developed this behaviour on their own, or
even
that stone tool use was a trait inherited from our common ancestor.

Clearly hominids were using weapons and tools
-- including stone tools -- from the moment they
speciated. That's why they evolved (right from
the start) the kinds of hands we have now. It's
also why they went bipedal. And it's why they
lost those large canines.

But where are all those fossil stone tools?

Any guesses?


Paul.

Clearly hominids were using weapons and tools
-- including stone tools -- from the moment they
speciated. That's why they evolved (right from
the start) the kinds of hands we have now. It's
also why they went bipedal. And it's why they
lost those large canines.

But where are all those fossil stone tools?

There is a point beyond which made tools can not be identified. An object used as a tool is
not very likely to be recognized as such except under unsual circumstances. Most ancient
organic tools are dust.

"deowll" <deo...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message

news:67QAh.5919$B8.332@bignews6.bellsouth.net...

Clearly hominids were using weapons and tools
-- including stone tools -- from the moment they
speciated. That's why they evolved (right from
the start) the kinds of hands we have now. It's
also why they went bipedal. And it's why they
lost those large canines.

But where are all those fossil stone tools?

There is a point beyond which made tools can not be identified. An object used as a tool is
not very likely to be recognized as such except under unsual circumstances. Most ancient
organic tools are dust.

There are still about three-million-years-worth
of stone-tool fossils that have not been found.

The answer is that they were at sea-level, and

Paul.

"deowll" <deowll@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:67QAh.5919$B8.332@bignews6.bellsouth.net...

Clearly hominids were using weapons and tools
-- including stone tools -- from the moment they
speciated. That's why they evolved (right from
the start) the kinds of hands we have now. It's
also why they went bipedal. And it's why they
lost those large canines.

But where are all those fossil stone tools?

There is a point beyond which made tools can not be identified. An object
used as a tool is
not very likely to be recognized as such except under unsual
circumstances. Most ancient
organic tools are dust.

There are still about three-million-years-worth
of stone-tool fossils that have not been found.

The answer is that they were at sea-level, and
the constant rise and fall in sea-levels pretty
well destroyed them all.


Paul.