Hands, Brains, and Precision Grips: Origins of Tool Use Behaviors

Humans possess the most advanced manipulative skills among hominoid primates and produce the most sophisticated technology. This capability is reflected in (1) human hand anatomy, facilitating opposition during precision grasping; and (2) neurobiological structure and function, conferring humans with enhanced neocortical control over behavior. This stark human–ape dichotomy is less clear when looking at the fossil record, in part due to the difficulty of assessing primitive versus derived (ie, “uniquely human”) features. We review the evolutionary history of the link between the hand and brain in primates, with a view toward understanding the emergence of human tool culture.