Ancient Hominids Had Human-Like Grip

Discovery News ^ | Monday, April 19, 2010 | Bruce Bower, Science News

[SunkenCiv]

An upright gait and a relatively sophisticated ability to manipulate objects apparently evolved in tandem among the earliest hominids at least 6 million years ago, said Sergio Almécija of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. That's well before the earliest evidence of stone toolmaking, about 2.6 million years ago, arguing against the idea that fine motor skills for toolmaking drove the evolution of opposable thumbs. Almécija and his colleagues studied a bone from the tip of a thumb belonging to Orrorin tugenensis. At an estimated 6 million years old, Orrorin is the second oldest hominid genus. A more recently identified hominid genus and species, Sahelanthropus tchadensis, may have lived 7 million years ago. Controversy exists over whether fragmentary Sahelanthropus and Orrorin fossils can be used to identify new hominid genera. Limb and jaw pieces, as well as teeth, from at least five Orrorin individuals were unearthed in Kenya in 2000. The thumb fossil indicates that Orrorin had a long enough thumb to meet the tips of the other fingers, allowing for fine manipulation of objects... By comparing Orrorin's thumb with thumb bones from a variety of ancient apes and hominids, as well as from living people, Almécija uncovered a pattern that he says argues against the current notion that hominids first evolved handier hands as they learned to make stone tools. No Sahelanthropus thumb bones have been found. [iStockphoto/Thinkstock]

[SunkenCiv]

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
	Gods Graves Glyphs	To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
·Dogpile · Archaeologica · LiveScience · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society · · Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·

[GSP.FAN]

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

G.I.Joe comes with Kung Fu grip too.

[Redcitizen]

This is gripping news.

(seriously,thanks for posting these articles. much appreciated)

[dangerdoc]

Supposedly in the Homo Sapien lineage but with opposible thumbs.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Big deal, so do raccoons, monkeys, lemurs, great apes, etc.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[bunkerhill7]

Ancient Obummanoids Had SubHuman-Like Fibs

Discovery News ^ | Monday, April 19, 2010 | Bruce Bower,[!] Science News

Posted on 4/22/10 7:46:32 PM by Sinkinfas`

A bowed-over faker and a relatively unsophisticated ability to manipulate imaginary birth and educational papers apparently evolved in cannibals among the earliest Kenyan Obummanoids at least 50 years ago, said Searging Almychicas of the Autonomostly University of Baloney.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

THe “Second oldest hominid genus”. Humm. The “oldest” must be Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W VA).

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[wildbill]

Many people have theorized that the opposable thumb was the most important evolutionary development that led to human dominance among all species.

Let’s step back a moment and think about how this evolution could have occurred

Q. Can all hominids in the gene pool be said to have been tool makers to the extent that their hands would evolve to an opposable thumb?

Ans: I doubt the mass of our forebears were driven to tool making by some inner drive. Do you see a stone and have an uncontrollable desire/instinct to form it into a tool? No!
Tool making is an acquired taste that only a small proportion of the population shares.

Q. What most powerful physical/psychological drive is common to all hominids, especially young adult males?

Ans: That’s right—Sex. Anything having to do with sex would be a formidable factor in evolutionary gene development.

Q. What is a universal instintive drive/habit that is common to all primates to this very day—and requires an opposable thumb for gripping?

Ans: This is a family site and I hesitate to give the obvious answer because of my innate modesty. Hint: a physical inspection of any male subject will reveal if he is right or left-handed.

The fact that an opposable thumb was found to be useful for tool making and other functions by some hominids was simply icing on the evolutionary cake so to speak.

Perhaps my theory on the evolution of the opposable thumb will become the gold standard for scientists one day—or they’ll just call me a jerk-off. Visionaries are always underappreciated by over-educated fools with biases for their tired old theories.

[null and void]

Thought provoking analysis.

I gotta hand it to ya...

[wildbill]

Thank you. Perhaps we can mutually agree that shaking hands is not an option.

[null and void]

A fist bump, perhaps?

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[colorado tanker]

Now are you going to tell me where that hand has been?