January
29
/ 2021
Researchers studying the fossilized hands of 2-million-year-old hominins have concluded that human thumbs back then had the same movement ranges as our thumbs have today. It was the “dexterity” in part offered by the human thumb that enabled us to overpower all other species on Earth. Until now, the ancient origins of the human thumb, and dexterity, have always been tightly locked archaeological mysteries. By 3D modelling the muscle movement range in ancient, fossilized thumbs, a team of German researchers has concluded that it was about 2 million years ago that our early human ancient ancestors first developed this key survival tool. Oldest Tool Use Thrown Back To Two million Years In Oldupai Gorge Find Are Humans Just Self-Domesticated Apes
