%0 Journal Article
%A Snyder, William D.
%A Reeves, Jonathan S.
%A Tennie, Claudio
%+ Lise Meitner Group Technological Primates, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
%T Early knapping techniques do not necessitate cultural transmission : 
%G eng
%U https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-C8D0-9
%R 10.1126/sciadv.abo2894
%7 2022-07-06
%D 2022
%8 06.07.2022
%* Review method: peer-reviewed
%X Early stone tool production, or knapping, techniques are claimed to be the earliest evidence for cultural transmis-<br>sion in the human lineage. Previous experimental studies have trained human participants to knap in conditions <br>involving opportunities for cultural transmission. Subsequent knapping was then interpreted as evidence for a <br>necessity of the provided cultural transmission opportunities for these techniques. However, a valid necessity claim <br>requires showing that individual learning alone cannot lead to early knapping techniques. Here, we tested human <br>participants (N = 28) in cultural isolation for the individual learning of early knapping techniques by providing <br>them with relevant raw materials and a puzzle task as motivation. Twenty-five participants were technique naïve <br>according to posttest questionnaires, yet they individually learned early knapping techniques, therewith producing <br>and using core and flake tools. Early knapping techniques thus do not necessitate cultural transmission of know-<br>how and could likewise have been individually derived among premodern hominins.
%J Science Advances
%V 8
%] eabo2894
%@ 2375-2548