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By using highly advanced brain imaging technology to observe modern humans crafting ancient tools, an Indiana University neuroarchaeologist has found evidence that human-like ways of thinking may have emerged as early as 1.8 million years ago.
The results, reported May 8 in the journal Nature Human Behavior, place the appearance of human-like cognition at the emergence of Homo erectus, an early apelike species of human first found in Africa whose evolution predates Neanderthals by nearly 600,000 years.
"This is a significant result because it's commonly thought our most modern forms of cognition only appeared very recently in terms of human evolutionary history," said Shelby S. Putt, a postdoctoral researcher with The Stone Age Institute at Indiana University, who is first author on the study. "But these results suggest the transition from apelike to humanlike ways of thinking and behaving arose surprisingly early."
The study's conclusions are based upon brain activity in modern individuals taught to create two types of ancient tools: simple Oldowan-era "flake tools" -- little more than broken rocks with a jagged edge -- and more complicated Acheulian-era hand axes, which resemble a large arrowhead. Both are formed by smashing rocks together using a process known as "flintknapping."
"'Humanlike' Ways of Thinking Evolved 1.8 Million Years Ago," but ape-like thinking remains.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by leftover on Thursday May 11 2017, @04:09PM (2 children)
Although it is clear what the ending phrase "but ape-like thinking remains"
was intended to convey, the roles of "ape-like" and "human-like" are reversed.
Over decades of both direct observation and reading recorded history, it has
become obvious to me that animal behavior is the source of any good in people.
What we do with "higher" capabilities is to develop delusions of grandeur, religions,
rent-seeking behaviors, and sociopathy in all its forms.
Just read the news.
Bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 12 2017, @03:39AM (1 child)
Perhaps you should spend a decade researching animal behavior before making that claim. Animals do kill and torturer each other 'for fun' and when a pride switches male owners the females kill their own offspring to make room for the new male offspring. Most humans handle divorce far more civil than that. Rape is the most common way of breeding.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 12 2017, @10:02AM
The new male lion kills any still-nursing cubs in order to bring the females back into estrus.
The females don't interfere with what he's doing.
The much-larger male wouldn't tolerate that anyway.
There are several videos on YouTube that document this.
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