Overview
- Researchers describe KNM-ER 101000 from Koobi Fora, a partial skeleton dated to about 1.52 million years ago that securely attributes hand and foot bones to P. boisei via associated teeth and cranial remains.
- Thumb-to-finger proportions and wrist morphology indicate precision-like grips comparable to early Homo but lacking the fine pinch of later humans.
- Broad, power-oriented finger bones resemble gorillas, supporting powerful grasping likely used in processing tough plant foods rather than obligate tree climbing.
- Foot fossils show clear bipedal adaptations, including an arch and big-toe dorsiflexion, with a shorter hallux implying less efficient push-off than in modern humans.
- The anatomy bolsters the case that tool use extended beyond Homo, yet no stone tools were found with the specimen so the maker of early toolkits remains unresolved.