NEWS BRIEFS

Eagle Food

See Physical Anthropology: The Core, Chapter 10, page 237;

Physical Anthropology, 6^th edition, Chapter 16, pages 406-408.

In 1924, Raymond A. Dart of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, described the first member of the genus Australopithecus. He had received material from an exposed cavern containing among other fossils the skull of a child that came to be known as the Taung Baby.

The 2« million-year-old fossil had puncture marks on its skull. They were initially interpreted as the result of predation by a "killer ape." More recently, the Taung Baby was thought to have been killed by a leopard since the location of the punctures line up with the canines of a fossil leopard jaw.

Now, Lee Berger and Ron Clarke, both from the same University where Dart worked, have proposed a new idea. They believe that an eagle killed and ate the child. They base this conclusion on the study of the talon marks on the skulls of contemporary baboons found beneath eagles' nests. The marks appear identical to the ones left on the Taung Baby's skull.

Reference: Discover, 17 (February 1996), 23.

An Upper Paleolithic Boomerang

See Physical Anthropology: The Core, Chapter 12, pages 302-307;

Physical Anthropology, 6^th edition, Chapter 19, pages 498-501.

In 1987 a boomerang made of mammoth tusk was discovered in Poland. The weapon spans 71 centimeters. A new accelerator radiocarbon date places the artifact at 20,300 B.P.

The artifact is a straight-flying weapon with a shape similar to wood specimens from Australia which are used in hunting. A copy of the weapon made of plastic of the same specific gravity as mammoth ivory weighs about 800 grams. One end is wider than the other. The wider end is incised with engraved lines for a better grip. When thrown by the experimenters the boomerang averaged 25 to 30 meters.

References: P. Valde-Nowak, A. Nadachowski, and M. Wolsan, "Upper Paleolithic Boomerang Made of a Mammoth Tusk in South Poland," Nature, 329 (1987), 436-438; and D. Evers and P. Valde Nowak, Arch„ologisches Korrespondenzblatt, 24 (1994), 137-144.

Early Evidence of Weaving

See Physical Anthropology: The Core, Chapter 12, pages 302-307;

Physical Anthropology, 6^th edition, Chapter 19, page 499.

Most of the tools unearthed by archaeologists are made of stone.

This is not surprising because stone survives the ravages of time. Yet many paleoanthropologists believe that tools of perishable material, such as wood and cordage, played major roles in hominid societies.

Early evidence of non-lithic artifacts are very rare.

Recently, however, evidence of woven material was documented when clay shards were uncovered with markings from woven material that was pressed into the clay while it was still wet. Analysis of the impression provides evidence of weaving.

The pottery pieces were found at the Czech site Pavlov I, excavated between 1952 and 1972. The pottery has been dated by radiocarbon dating to between 26,980 and 24,870 B.P. The impressions may have been made from a woven material or basket and may represent a bag or mat. This is the oldest evidence of weaving known to date.

Reference: B. Bower, "Stone Age Fabric Leaves Swatch Marks," Science News, 147 (1995), 276.

Tool-Manufacture in Birds

See Physical Anthropology: The Core, Chapter 7, pages 181-182;

Physical Anthropology, 6^th edition, Chapter 11, pages 271-273.

At one time it was asserted that only humans were capable of manufacturing and using tools. Beginning with the observations made by Jane Goodall of chimpanzees making tools, this ability has been observed in a number of other animals. A recent report tells of the tool-making ability of crows from New Caledonia.

These birds make two types of hook tools made from leaves.

These tools are used to capture insect invertebrate prey. This is the first instance of the nonhuman use of hooks, a feature that first appears in humans after the Lower Paleolithic.

Reference: G. R. Hunt, "Manufacture and Use of Hook-tools by New Caledonian Crows," Nature, 379 (18 January 1996), 249-251.

Beatrix Gardner, 1933-1995

See Physical Anthropology: The Core, Chapter 7, pages 190-191;

Physical Anthropology, 6^th edition, Chapter 12, pages 291-292.

One of the most unique features of Homo sapiens is language, and one of the most interesting areas of research in physical anthropology and psychology deals with the linguistic capabilities of nonhuman primates.

A pioneering study of the linguistic capabilities of apes is the work of Beatrix and Allen Gardner at the University of Nevada at Reno. Their work began in 1966 with the chimpanzee Washoe who was taught a form of American Sign Language. Since that time the Gardners and Roger Fouts, at Central Washington University, have extended the study to include other chimpanzees including Loulis who learned ASL from Washoe, his adopted mother.

Beatrix Gardner died on June 5, 1995, while on a lecture tour in Europe.

The Next Human Frontier

See Physical Anthropology: The Core, Chapter 4, pages 86-87;

Physical Anthropology, 6^th edition, Chapter 7, pages 144-145.

One conclusion of anthropology is that culture, rather than biology, is the primary way modern peoples cope with their physical environment. We call this phenomenon behavioral adjustment. For instance, Eskimos adjust to cold conditions by building igloos and wearing warm clothing.

In a few years, a cooperative effort between several countries including the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, Italy, Britain, Germany, and France will have put an entirely human-made habitat into space. The 30 billion dollar space station, due to be completed in the year 2002, will be the most expensive artifact ever created by humans. Hominid evolution, which began some five million years ago in Africa, may soon be continuing in outer space.

And finally...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WORLD

A regular occurrence for readers of the British science journal Nature is the annual commentary recalling the major events of science that have taken place on the centenary (and multiples thereof) of each year, in this case 1996. This year the essay opens with the following note:

This year we can offer as anniversary of the year an invention more original in its design and consequences, more necessary to the correct thinking and wellbeing of humankind, more fundamental, inspired we do not scruple to say awesome than any other creative expression known to us. It is the act of creation that, on the scientific yet reliable calculation of Dr. James Ussher, Primate of Ireland, happened in the year 4004 BC on the evening of 22 October, when God, being at leisure, decided to make a world. This coming October we have the singular opportunity of celebrating the sixtieth centenary of the creation of the Universe.¹

In our courses we all too often quote this date of creation in a humorous vein as we discourse on the history of evolutionary theory. Yet we often forget that Ussher's work represents serious and legitimate scholarship for his time. Stephen Jay Gould writes in his essay "Fall in the House of Ussher": "I shall be defending Ussher's chronology as an honorable effort for its time and arguing that our usual ridicule only records a lamentable small-mindedness based on mistaken use of present criteria to judge a distant and different past...."²

James Ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, published Annales veteris testamenti, a prima mundi origine deducti ("Annals of the Old Testament, deduced from the first origin of the world") in 1650. This volume contains his calculations of the date of creation. By the way, texts differ in the exact day and time. According to Gould the day and time was October 23 at noon.

We encourage the reader to read Gould's essay as it describes in detail the thinking of the time and how Ussher arrived at his oft quoted date. In the meantime, Happy 6000^th Birthday World!

1 J. L. Heibron and W. F. Bynum, "Eighteen-ninety-six and All That," Nature, 379 (4 January 1996), 15-18.

2 S. J. Gould, "Fall in the House of Ussher," in S. J. Gould, Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History (New York: Norton, 1993), 183.

Copyright 1997 by McGraw-Hill, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. The entire contents or parts of this Update may be reproduced for use with Physical Anthropology, Sixth Edition, or Physical Anthropology: the Core, by Philip L. Stein and Bruce M. Rowe, provided each reproduction bears the copyright notice. The publisher's written permission must be obtained for other use.