We humans are nothing if not inventive. Our innovations have come to underpin virtually every facet of daily life—from what we eat to how we communicate. This ingenuity is intrinsically linked to both our outsize brain and our hands, which are remarkably dexterous compared with those of other primates. Paleoanthropologists have long sought the origins of human technological innovation. The famous Lucy fossil, discovered 50 years ago this month, ushered in a new understanding of this hallmark of humankind.In the 1950s English paleoanthropologist Kenneth Oakley emphasized toolmaking as a unique…
