Re: Oldovan tools associated with Paranthropus

On 5/2/25 11:28 AM, erik simpson wrote:

Expanded geographic distribution and dietary strategies of the earliest Oldowan hominins and Paranthropus.  (Open access)
 Abstract
The oldest Oldowan tool sites, from around 2.6 million years ago, have previously been confined to Ethiopia’s Afar Triangle. We describe sites at Nyayanga, Kenya, dated to 3.032 to 2.581 million years ago and expand this distribution by over 1300 kilometers. Furthermore, we found two hippopotamid butchery sites associated with mosaic vegetation and a C4 grazer–dominated fauna. Tool flaking proficiency was comparable with that of younger Oldowan assemblages, but pounding activities were more common. Tool use-wear and bone damage indicate plant and animal tissue processing. Paranthropus sp. teeth, the first from southwestern Kenya, possessed carbon isotopic values indicative of a diet rich in C4 foods. We argue that the earliest Oldowan was more widespread than previously known, used to process diverse foods including megafauna, and associated with Paranthropus from its onset.

Quite frankly, it's just WokeTardia.
They're "Finding" that Paranthropus, if it's really a distinct species
(genus?), ate a lot of plants, thus it butchered animals.
 From your cite:
"Thus, the emergence of C4 specialist diets coincided with the
appearance of at least one major aspect of robust masticatory
morphology (large post-canine teeth) relatively early in the
evolution of Paranthropus [as opposed to (19)]."
Kind of makes sense, right?  Gorillas are more "Robust" than humans,
herbivores tend to be larger, more "robust" than carnivores...
Also from your cite:
Similar C4 grazer–dominated ecosystems are documented at the Ethiopian sites of Ledi-Geraru (~2.8 Ma) (17) and Mille-Logya (~2.8 to ~2.4 Ma) (18), indicating that early representatives of both Paranthropus and Homo were found in substantially open ecosystems.
wow golly gee willickers, Batman, the dates overlap! LOTS!
Paleoanthropology is the furthest thing from a real science. It's a
social program, and it's used to promote the "We're all exactly the
same" message which form some reason never once explained can only be
true if modern humans originated in Africa.
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https://jtem.tumblr.com/tagged/The%20Book%20of%20JTEM/page/5