Homo habilis Classification
2.3 million years ago · Prehistoric
In April 1964, Louis Leakey, Phillip Tobias, and John Napier announced Homo habilis in Nature, based on fossils discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, beginning in 1960. The type specimen OH 7, found by Jonathan Leakey, dated to approximately 1.75 million years ago and included mandible fragments, parietal bones, and hand bones. Named "handy man" for its association with stone tool manufacture, the classification rested on increased cranial capacity and smaller molars compared to Australopithecus.
Key Figures
Mary LeakeyLouis Leakey
Locations
Olduvai Gorge
Topics
homo sapiensearly humanshomo erectushomo neanderthalensishomo habilis
Connected Events — 3 Connections
Homo habilis specimens at Olduvai Gorge were directly associated with Oldowan stone tools establishing the link between this species and systematic tool manufacture Olduvai Gorge: Earliest Stone Tool Technology
Cognitive advances enabling Oldowan tool production in Homo habilis laid neurological groundwork for the more sophisticated Acheulean hand axe technology Emergence of Acheulean Hand Axe Technology
Homo habilis is a likely ancestor of Homo erectus whose increased brain size and body proportions enabled the first hominin migration out of Africa Homo erectus: First Migration Out of Africa
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