Sentences with phrase «hominins knapped»
They found stone artifacts — mostly flakes that were dropped as hominins knapped rocks to create tools for butchering animals — lying in sediments almost 1.85 million years old.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ Not exact matches
We know roughly when that change occurred from experiments in which researchers made their own versions of ancient stone tools using either their left or right hands to chip — or knap — the tool into shape, before comparing them with the tools made by early hominins.
The study of the Lomekwi 3 artifacts suggest they could represent a transitional technological stage — a missing link — between the pounding - oriented stone tool use of a more ancestral hominin and the flaking - oriented knapping of later, Oldowan toolmakers.
Dr. Harmand, the lead author, says that the Lomekwi 3 artifacts show that at least one group of ancient hominin started intentionally «knapping» stones — breaking off pieces with quick, hard strikes from another stone — to make sharp tools long before previously thought.
They concluded that the techniques used «could represent a technological stage between a hypothetical pounding - oriented stone tool use by an earlier hominin and the flaking - oriented knapping behavior of [later] toolmakers.»
Now, the Lomekwi artifacts show that those ideas are correct and at least one group of ancient hominin started intentionally knapping stones to make tools long before previously thought.
For one, what could have caused hominins to start knapping tools at such an early date?
«The Lomekwi hominins were most likely not out on a savanna when they knapped these tools,» said Dr. Lewis.
«The traditional view was that hominins started knapping to make sharp - edged flakes so they could cut meat off of animal carcasses, and maybe used the cores, called «choppers», to break open bones to get at the marrow» Lewis says.