title: Human evolution. Comment on "Human-like hand use in Australopithecus africanus".
abstract: Skinner and colleagues (Research Article, 23 January 2015, p. 395), based on metacarpal trabecular bone structure, argue that Australopithecus africanus employed human-like dexterity for stone tool making and use 3 million years ago. However, their evolutionary and biological assumptions are misinformed, failing to refute the previously existing hypothesis that human-like manipulation preceded systematized stone tool manufacture, as indicated by the fossil record.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, 800 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA. Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, Carrer de les Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain. sergio.almecija@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Almécija
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Judex
authors.affiliation: Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, Carrer de les Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Alba
authors.affiliation: ICREA at Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont and Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica (Departament BABVE), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-CP, Carrer de les Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moyà-Solà
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D006801:Humans; D050279:Metacarpal Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008663:Metacarpus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013933:Thumb / Q000033:anatomy & histology*