ANTHRO 7 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Homo Ergaster, Stone Tool, Oldowan
Document Summary
Recap fo tues lecture re oldowan toolmakers and the origin of human life history. Modern human hunter-gatherers use complex foraging techniques. These are linked to life history traits: long childhood and long lifespan. And they are linked to social and behavioral traits: extensive food-sharing, division, of labor, investing males. More efficient to just focus on one task. The piles of animal bones and oldowan tools probably result from hominins processing carcasses with toos, repeatedly at the same locations. Most mammalian predators scavenge some of the time. No mammalian predators rely entirely on scavenging. Natural morality might support scavengers that followed these herds. But predators can"t follow herds because they must stay near home to provide care for dependent young. Usually stay in a den while mother/father goes out to find food. Evidence suggest oldowan toolmakers both hunted and scavenged. At kill sites predators have to compete with scavengers. Predators often drag meatiest bones away to eat them in peace.