4 ms·

From 2018, so they're probably smelting copper by now. More seriously, aren't there Otters that use stones to smash open shellfish? I think I'm more impressed

From 2018, so they're probably smelting copper by now. More seriously, aren't there Otters that use stones to smash open shellfish? I think I'm more impressed that Orcas have decided that tipping over sailboats is a fun pastime.

Someone 3y ago
Reading https://www.livescience.com/which-animals-use-stone-tools https://www.livescience.com/which-animals-use-stone-tools, the criterion for “entered the Stone Age” weirdly seems to be having a “recognized archaeological record of stone tool use”. Thats lie saying “it hasn’t happened if we don’t have it on video”.
- mr_toad 3y ago
  That’s because you can find tools that have obviously been shaped (e.g. napped flint) in the geological record. Distinguishing between a rock that happened to be used as a tool from any other random rock in the strata would be much harder.
- BlueTemplar 3y ago
  Interesting, I was assuming that, unlike humans, they actually didn't have an actual tool industry (which only then would have qualified them for "Stone Age" in my book), but perhaps they have ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomekwi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomekwi (Or at least for non-stone tools ?)
iancmceachern 3y ago
> they're probably smelting copper by now. Thank you, this is exactly the kind of cerebral snark I come to HN for. I laughed out loud awkwardly while getting a pedicure with my wife. That's the good stuff.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
kazinator 3y ago
I doubt they are as far as smelting copper, but they can be expected to at least be coding in Javascript by now, which is like Upper Paleolithic.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
bandrami 3y ago
TFA even says "they don't fashion the tools" which means they aren't "tools" but rather "implements". Science journalism: a career that for whatever reason attracts people who are good at neither.
- canadianfella 3y ago
  [dead]

Someone 3y ago

Reading https://www.livescience.com/which-animals-use-stone-tools https://www.livescience.com/which-animals-use-stone-tools, the criterion for “entered the Stone Age” weirdly seems to be having a “recognized archaeological record of stone tool use”. Thats lie saying “it hasn’t happened if we don’t have it on video”.

mr_toad 3y ago
That’s because you can find tools that have obviously been shaped (e.g. napped flint) in the geological record. Distinguishing between a rock that happened to be used as a tool from any other random rock in the strata would be much harder.
BlueTemplar 3y ago
Interesting, I was assuming that, unlike humans, they actually didn't have an actual tool industry (which only then would have qualified them for "Stone Age" in my book), but perhaps they have ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomekwi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomekwi (Or at least for non-stone tools ?)

iancmceachern 3y ago

> they're probably smelting copper by now. Thank you, this is exactly the kind of cerebral snark I come to HN for. I laughed out loud awkwardly while getting a pedicure with my wife. That's the good stuff.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

kazinator 3y ago

I doubt they are as far as smelting copper, but they can be expected to at least be coding in Javascript by now, which is like Upper Paleolithic.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

bandrami 3y ago

TFA even says "they don't fashion the tools" which means they aren't "tools" but rather "implements". Science journalism: a career that for whatever reason attracts people who are good at neither.

canadianfella 3y ago
[dead]