Key Points
- Recent research explores how brain development enabled early humans to use tools with precision, impacting cognitive evolution.
- Participants used replicated stone tools to crack nuts and cut patterns into leather, and brain activity was monitored via EEG.
- Cutting patterns into leather tasks required more brain activity, particularly in the frontoparietal regions, than nut-cracking.
- The study establishes a basis for investigating the cognitive prerequisites for technological progress in human evolution.
A new study led by Alexandros Karakostis from the University of Tübingen reveals how changes in the brain enabled early humans to use tools with precision, triggering biocultural evolution that shaped modern humanity. Published in Scientific Reports, the study highlights the role of cognitive development in human technological innovation.
The researchers employed an experimental approach to explore the cognitive demands of early tool use. Participants performed two tasks using replicated stone tools resembling those found in archaeological records. The first task involved cracking nuts with a stone hammer, a behavior also observed in animals such as apes. The second task, exclusive to humans, required participants to cut patterns into leather using chipped stones.
Brain activity during these tasks was recorded using electroencephalograms (EEGs). The results showed distinct brain activity patterns associated with each task. “Our study provides empirical evidence to support unique patterns of brain activity during different behaviors and stages of early hominin tool use,” said Simona Affinito, a PhD candidate and first author of the study.
The research identified the involvement of the brain’s frontoparietal regions, particularly during the aiming stage of tool use. This highlights the importance of these areas in planning motor actions. Although both tasks required cognitive effort, cutting patterns into leather required significantly more brain activity than nut-cracking.
“This difference underscores the advanced cognitive performance needed for precise tool-using tasks,” explained Karakostis. Such precision likely enabled early humans to adapt and manipulate their environments in ways previously impossible. These advancements paved the way for the development of technologies that contributed to human evolution.
The study underscores the link between brain function and technological capability, providing a foundation for further research into the cognitive prerequisites for human technological progress. “Technological innovations were crucial for human evolution,” Karakostis emphasized. By exploring the distinct cognitive demands of different tools, the research sheds light on how early humans began to outpace other primates in shaping their surroundings.