Tool-Using, Meat-Eating Paranthropus?

New work suggests Paranthropus may have been a tool user... and a meat eater??

Source:

[MWhaleK]

I never doubted that Parathropus was at least as much a tool user as Chimps and likely somewhat better, but I never imagined that they would be linked to Oldowan stone tools.

[Snarffu]

In my many years on YT this is one of the easiest subs I ever saw. Your enthusiasm is obvious and endearing. Your information is well delivered and somehow you manage to keep it clear while running off the cuff. You put me in mind of the legendary Lindybeige. Please take that as the compliment it was meant to be. Cheers!!

[godlessgrebe]

This is all so fascinating. However, why has nobody mentioned the most likely scenario:
The hippos used the tools to eat the Paranthropus!

[George-]

Dare I say it, _Paranthropus habilis._
I've also been thinking we need to update the time lines, before the paleolithic we now know that there was a "panlithic" ("The Chimpanzee stone age").
So many fascinating new discoveries. Thank you for sharing them with us. Love the work you do.

[usxxgrant]

Congrats on 50k! You've earned it!

And my feelings are-- Welcome, cousin Paranthropus! Come on in, set your tools by the door, put your feet up, and relax. Enjoy the tool party!

[DarthCalculus]

I love these summaries/reviews of scientific papers. You explain them so well and point out exactly what's important and interesting about them.

[bigwendigo]

1776 bones were found? Can they find one more bone? I feel like there’s going to be conspiracy theories over this number 😭 Kidding aside, this is freaking insane, 2.5M-3M years old? Fat molar Paranthropus changing up things with possible tools? How interesting! Also, your explanation of people not being open to a tool maker outside of what they’re expecting and what’s been defined definitely reminds me of creationists.

[j.c.]

I enjoy both your YEC vids and these vids, though for very different reasons. I look at the YEC vids and think, "Those folks lack so much understanding, and they'll never want to correct that!" I look at these videos and think, "I lack so much understanding! But, I'm grateful that there are folks like Gutsick on here to help me correct that." Thank you for all you do!

[LittleBitVic]

Erika: This might be one of the reasons why humans were so successful at dominating our environment wherever we go. _We aren't too picky._
My body, not getting the memo: What's this? Healthy, nutritious food? Why, let me just vomit up most of it and calcify the rest into kidney stones! And, despite never living in an environment that drops below 80°F, I'll pass out the moment my face hits about 99°F. That sounds _smart and adaptive_ just like the rest of my genus and species!

[chickenduckhappy]

Your channel and TWiV are kinda my favorites. Raw actual information, not overproduced with stock footage and music, not cut to smithereens, just pure, good content. Maybe if you actually have to say something, you don't need an annoying music carpet or a cut every 0.7 seconds 😅 I truly appreciate that ❤

[JohnnieHougaardNielsen]

Great milestone 🐒
I've also noticed how hard the resistance has "always" been when it comes to trust pre-human ancestors to have more advanced capabilities than current-day other apes.

[dawndead]

Congratulations on the subscribership! Couldn't happen
to a nicer primate and a true sapiens sapiens. Always
engaging, always informative. Thanks, GG!

[donnaevans]

I miss the opening. Oreopethicus being rained on, sneezing and coming down from the tree is my favorite part. Great video. Keep up the good

[ksmeowmy]

Very cool! I hope the idea of parathrancopus use of tools pans out—the more hominid tool users, the better. And congrats on reaching 50k users. Had to look up what “C4 foods” meant—more leaning!

[cuprite]

I love this type of video, it’s so insanely interesting seeing the family tree and that other branches that didn’t lead to us, were also capable of humanlike things and probably similar potentials for intelligence. We’re just the only ones left, but that doesn’t mean our relatives were necessarily less capable of being/becoming intelligent. There definitely is a deep status quo of human exceptionalism, but what we are is just another animal living at the same time as the rest of the current animals

[annatheelephant]

I'm feeding the algorithm because these videos are some of my favorites. I love yec busts and library of errors, but this, this is your brand imo.

[Sofspot]

Paranthropus seems nice. 10/10 would hug and share fruit with

[dr_drago]

I'm going to be honest, I was more surprised by the possibility that Paranthropus ate meat than by any suggestions of tool use. And said meat was potentially HIPPO CARCASSES. Paranthropus has always been advertised to me as a specialized herbivore like you mention in this video. But like you said, behavior can sometimes deviate from morphology. For example, the leopard seal's incisors and canines aren't really any special for a seal's, but it's the only regularly macrophagous pinniped alive today. A few Mesozoic marine reptiles with teeth and jaws that look like they're just for eating fish show evidence of preying on larger vertebrates. And Paranthropus has potential tool usage going for it over these guys.

[BigMrDocBerry]

Nice video. Erika is going honestly my favourite creation disproving youtuber

[balkmindobro]

Additionally, what if they were trading knowledge of tool making? As well as tools, techniques and culture?

I find it absurd to believe that we were not intertwined with one another, we had the capability. I'm saddened that we may never know how or if we managed to coexist in any meaningful way