Chimpanzee and human grips: A new classification with a focus on evolutionary morphology

Marzke, Mary W.; Wullstein, K. L.

doi:10.1007/bf02696162

Cited by 114 publications

(178 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Both pinch measures are frequently used to record precision manipulative strength in the medical literature (e.g., Mathiowetz et al, 1985;Mullerpatan et al, 2013). The ability of humans to produce forceful precision grips, such as the 'pad-to-side' and 'tip-to-tip' pinch, is considered unique amongst primates and is widely reported as having been essential to the use of stone tools (e.g., Marzke and Shackley, 1986;Marzke and Wullstein, 1996;Marzke, 1997;Marzke et al, 2015). All three strength variables were recorded as the mean value of two repetitions at maximum exertion.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, this point has been similarly noted by Marzke and Shackley (1986), who identify that pad-to-side grips rarely occur during flake tool use and that the positioning of the index finger in opposition to the point of impact is important in tool control. This explains the importance of force exertion through the fingers while maintaining traditional gripping models that emphasise the flexion of the thumb against one aspect of the flake when securing it within the hand (Marzke and Shackley, 1986;Marzke and Wullstein, 1996;Marzke, 1997Marzke, , 2013Hamrick et al, 1998). This does not, however, help explain the greater robusticity of the thumb relative to the fingers.…”

Section: The Contrasting Influence Of Individual Biometric Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating interrelationships between Lower Palaeolithic stone tool effectiveness and tool user biometric variation: implications for technological and evolutionary changes

Key

Lycett

2016

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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with cutting efficiency using both flakes and handaxes over extended periods of use and in multiple types of cutting task. Results indicate that (1) both handaxe and flake cutting efficiency is significantly related with biometric variation of individual tool-users, (2) relationships between biometric parameters and efficiency are consistent across extended durations but vary dependent upon task-type conditions, (3) manipulative strength is the most significant biometric trait in terms of predicting flake efficiency, while (4) hand size is the strongest predictor of handaxe cutting efficiency. These results demonstrate the long-term impact that stone tool use likely had on the evolution of hominin biometric variation during the Lower Palaeolithic, while also highlighting the variable influence of different tool use contexts.Most notably, results indicate that the onset of the Acheulean may have been dependent, a priori, upon hand dimensions that are close to the modern human range, and that prior to the appearance of this anatomy, handaxe use would have been an impractical (i.e. inefficient) tool use behaviour compared to the use of flakes.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Contrasting Influence Of Individual Biometric Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating interrelationships between Lower Palaeolithic stone tool effectiveness and tool user biometric variation: implications for technological and evolutionary changes

Key

Lycett

2016

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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show abstract

“…tip-to-tip precision grips, rather than whole-hand power grips useful only in rough and ready manipulation (Christel, 1993;Marzke & Wullstein, 1995).…”

Section: Assessing the Cognition Of Ape Manual Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The manual skills and cognition that lie behind hominid tool use

Byrne

2004

The Evolution of Thought

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Tool use is an important aspect of being human that has assumed a central place in accounts of the evolutionary origins of human intelligence. This has inevitably focused a spotlight on any signs of tool use or manufacture in great apes and other non-human animals, to the relative neglect of skills that do not involve tools. The aim of this chapter is to explore whether this emphasis is appropriate. Could it be that we may learn as much about the origin of human intelligence from skilled manual behaviour in general? Suppose we take this broader view, accepting evidence from all manifestations of manual skill, what can we learn of the mental capacities of the great apes and ourselves? My own ultimate purpose is to use comparative evidence from living species to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the many cognitive traits that came together to make human psychology. The cognition of great apes is the obvious starting point, to trace the more primitive (i.e. ancient) cognitive aptitudes that are still important to us today. In this chapter, I focus on great ape cognition as it is expressed in manual skills, based on cognitive aspects of tool use and manufacture considered significant in the human evolutionary lineage.

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“…Studies of bonobo (and chimpanzee) hand grips are done almost exclusively in captivity [Christel, 1993;Marzke and Wullstein, 1996;Christel et al, 1998;Pouydebat et al, 2011]. These studies show that they are capable of precision grasping between the thumb and finger(s).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nut‐cracking behaviour in wild‐born, rehabilitated bonobos (Pan paniscus): a comprehensive study of hand‐preference, hand grips and efficiency

Neufuss

Humle

Cremaschi

et al. 2016

American J Primatol

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There has been an enduring interest in primate tool-use and manipulative abilities, most often with the goal of providing insight into the evolution of human manual dexterity, right-hand preference, and what behaviours make humans unique. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are arguably the most well-studied tool-users among non-human primates, and are particularly wellknown for their complex nut-cracking behaviour, which has been documented in several West African populations. However, their sister-taxon, the bonobos (Pan paniscus), rarely engage in even simple tool-use and are not known to nut-crack in the wild. Only a few studies have reported tool-use in captive bonobos, including their ability to crack nuts, but details of this complex tool-use behaviour have not been documented before. Here, we fill this gap with the first comprehensive analysis of bonobo nut-cracking in a natural environment at the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Eighteen bonobos were studied as they cracked oil palm nuts using stone hammers. Individual bonobos showed exclusive laterality for using the hammerstone and there was a significant group-level right-hand bias. The study revealed 15 hand grips for holding differently sized and weighted hammerstones, 10 of which had not been previously described in the literature. Our findings also demonstrated that bonobos select the most effective hammerstones when nut-cracking. Bonobos are efficient nutcrackers and not that different from the renowned nut-cracking chimpanzees of Bossou, Guinea, which also crack oil palm nuts using stones.

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Chimpanzee and human grips: A new classification with a focus on evolutionary morphology

Cited by 114 publications

References 21 publications

Investigating interrelationships between Lower Palaeolithic stone tool effectiveness and tool user biometric variation: implications for technological and evolutionary changes

Investigating interrelationships between Lower Palaeolithic stone tool effectiveness and tool user biometric variation: implications for technological and evolutionary changes

The manual skills and cognition that lie behind hominid tool use

Nut‐cracking behaviour in wild‐born, rehabilitated bonobos (Pan paniscus): a comprehensive study of hand‐preference, hand grips and efficiency

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