Know Jonny's child, one of the homo genus which roamed the earth more than 1.4 million years ago and was linked to some of humanity’s earliest 'Stone Tools'

Long before modern humans appeared, several early members of the Homo genus walked across Africa. Among them was 'Homo habilis', an ancient human species whose name means 'handy man'. It lived roughly 2.4 million to 1.4 million years ago and had a somewhat larger braincase than older australopithecine species. The species became especially famous because its fossils were discovered alongside early stone tools at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. For decades, scientists believed Homo habilis could have been the first maker of stone tools. Today, however, the story is more complicated. Archaeologists have found tools that are older than the oldest known Homo fossils, making it difficult to identify exactly who created them.

MEET 'JONNY’S CHILD'

One of the most famous Homo habilis fossils is known as 'OH 7', or 'Jonny’s Child'. The fossil was discovered at Olduvai Gorge in 1960 by Jonathan Leakey and his mother, Mary Leakey, so was nicknamed 'Jonny's child'. It became the type specimen used to define the species. The remains belonged to a young individual and included parts of the lower jaw, teeth, skull bones and numerous hand and wrist bones. The hand fossils were especially intriguing because they offered clues about how this early human may have interacted with objects and tools. The fossil dates to around 1.8 million years ago, making it much older than the 1.4-million-year endpoint commonly given for the species.


WHY WAS HOMO HABILIS CALLED THE 'HANDY MAN'?

In 1964, Louis Leakey, South African scientist Philip Tobias and British scientist John Napier identified the fossils as belonging to a new species, which they named Homo habilis, meaning 'handy man'. Scientists chose the name because the fossils showed several features they considered more human-like, including a relatively larger brain, smaller molars and premolars, a human-like foot and distinctive hand bones. They believed these traits suggested Homo habilis may have been responsible for producing the thousands of stone tools found at Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge. The discovery was significant because Homo habilis appeared to combine primitive physical traits with several features that were more human-like. This unusual combination made the species an important part of the story of human evolution and helped scientists better understand the transition between earlier hominins and later members of the Homo genus.

A SURPRISINGLY LARGE BRAIN

One reason Homo habilis attracted so much attention was its brain size. Its brain capacity varied considerably among known fossils, with estimates ranging from roughly 500 to 800 cubic centimeters. Researchers have found that some specimens had brains considerably larger than those of australopithecines. A digital reconstruction of an Homo habilis braincase led researchers to conclude that some individuals may have had brains approaching 800 cubic centimeters. That does not mean Homo habilis was 'human-like' in every way. Its body still retained several primitive characteristics.

For decades, scientists associated Homo habilis with the earliest Oldowan stone tools. These simple tools included stone cores, hammerstones and sharp flakes that could be used for cutting, scraping and pounding. But newer discoveries have challenged the idea that Homo habilis was the first toolmaker. Archaeologists have found stone tools dating to around 2.6 million years ago, and even older evidence of stone-tool technology has been reported. The problem is that several hominin species lived in Africa during this period. Without a fossil directly associated with a particular toolmaking site, scientists cannot confidently identify which species made every early tool.

Homo habilis was far more than the 'Handyman' nickname suggests. Living in Africa more than 1.4 million years ago, this early member of the Homo genus had a relatively larger brain and a fascinating combination of primitive and more human-like features. The discovery of 'Jonny’s Child' at Olduvai Gorge helped scientists define the species and connect it to some of the earliest known stone-tool technology. Yet modern discoveries have complicated that story. Stone tools existed before the oldest known Homo fossils, meaning Homo habilis cannot confidently be called humanity’s first toolmaker.