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4h ago

First Paranthropus Boisei Hand Fossils Reveal Powerful Grip Compatible With Tool Use

The Nature analysis finds manual proportions consistent with basic tool handling without a direct link to toolmaking.

Paleoanthropologists Carrie Mongle (left) and Meave Leakey, the daughter of Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey, who found the first P. boisei fossil, discuss the new P. boisei hand fossils at the Turkana Basin Institute research station in Ileret, Kenya.
The Koobi Fora site has yielded a rich variety of fossils, including footprints.
The long thumb and straight fingers would have allowed Paranthropus boisei to form a powerful grip, similar to how modern humans might grasp a hammer. Other features, such as the broad shape of the finger bones, closely resemble those of a gorilla.

Overview

  • A partial skeleton from Koobi Fora near Lake Turkana, dated to about 1.52 million years ago, includes the largest set of P. boisei hand and foot bones found to date alongside diagnostic skull and teeth remains totaling 42 elements.
  • The hand shows a long thumb, straight fingers and a mobile pinkie combined with gorilla-like broad finger bones, indicating a strong humanlike grip but less precise pinch control.
  • Foot anatomy points to bipedal walking with arches and a shorter big toe that likely reduced push-off power compared with modern humans.
  • Researchers conclude nothing in the anatomy would have prevented making or using simple stone or bone tools, yet they stop short of identifying P. boisei as a definitive toolmaker due to the lack of exclusive associations.
  • Excavated in 2019–2021 by a team led by Louise Leakey, the remains were found just above a footprint trackway attributed to P. boisei and Homo erectus, underscoring that multiple hominins shared the landscape.