Stone Tools and Human Evolution Flashcards

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What evidence do stone tools give about human evolution?

As tools get more complex over time, they show that human brains and skills improved.

How can the depth of a tool in rock layers help date it?

Deeper tools are usually older because newer layers form on top of older ones. This is stratigraphy.

Why can’t scientists carbon-date a stone tool itself?

Stone was never alive, so it has no carbon-14. They date nearby bones, wood, or the layer instead.

Which dating method is used to date very old volcanic rock around tools?

Potassium–argon dating, which measures argon made from radioactive potassium.

Which early human is linked to the first simple stone tools?

Homo habilis, about 2.6 to 1.5 million years ago, made simple flakes and choppers.

What kind of tool is an Acheulian hand axe, and who used it?

A large, symmetrical stone axe; Homo erectus used it from about 1.5 million years ago.

Which are younger: Upper Palaeolithic blade tools or Acheulian hand axes?

Upper Palaeolithic blades are younger, around 40,000 years ago; Acheulian axes are about 1.5 million years old.

How can tools found with fossils help link tools to a species?

If tools lie with bones of one species in the same layer, they were likely used by that species.

What changes in stone tools over time show improved skill?

Tools become sharper, more symmetrical, and specialised for tasks like cutting, scraping, and drilling.

What can disturb rock layers and make tool dating harder?

Erosion, earthquakes, animal burrows, and digging can mix layers and move tools.