It is doubtful that they had hunting tools like spears and such but tools to carve meat and maybe cut grasses. Relationships with other species. A 2015 study of 3.2 mya Australopithicus Africanus internal sponge-like (trabecular) structure of the finger bones provides compelling evidence of habitual tool use. The first member of its genus to be discovered, Australopithecus africanus is the oldest species of hominin to be found in southern Africa. The word africanus is a Latinised form of the word ‘Africa’ and indicates the continent where this species was found. With the Australopithecus it’s hard to tell because of the small sample size but most agree the size difference was considerably more than 15%, maybe 30 to 40%. Limited Tool Use. The position of Australopithecus sediba within fossil hominin hand use diversity. Australopithecus: Over 4 million years ago, the genus Australopithecus appeared in Africa. The Homo Habilis (Handy Man) created tools. They were one of humankind's earliest relatives. Sure, other animals use tools. And the tools got better and better from then on. Australopithecus:. Humans have a way with flint. Australopithecus (/ ˌ ɒ s t r ə l ə ˈ p ɪ θ ɪ k ə s /, OS-trə-lə-PITH-i-kəs; from Latin australis 'southern', and Greek πίθηκος (pithekos) 'ape'; singular: australopith) is a genus of early hominins that existed in Africa during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene.The genera Homo (which includes modern humans), Paranthropus, and Kenyanthropus evolved from Australopithecus. Here we show that Australopithecus africanus (~3 to 2 million years ago) and several Pleistocene hominins, traditionally considered not to have engaged in habitual tool manufacture, have a human-like trabecular bone pattern in the metacarpals consistent with forceful opposition of the thumb and fingers typically adopted during tool use. The australopithecus did not use tools. Tool use was limited but still there. Photograph by Shaen Adey, Gallo Images/Corbis Australopithecus africanus. In fact, the ape-like Australopithecus may have figured out how to be clever with stones before modern humans even evolved. Cave sites where it is found have been dated approximately to 3-2.0 ma based mostly on biochronological methods (dating methods utilizing the relative chronologies of non-hominin animal fossils). Australopithecus roamed the Earth, on the continent of Africa, from circa 3.85 million years ago to 2.95 million years ago. Australopithecus africanus was once considered to be a direct ancestor of modern humans but new finds have challenged this position. The answer is: Looking more like yes. The hand bones of Australopithecus africanus (cranium shown above) show signs of humanlike uses like pinching or hammer holding, according to a new study. The research shows that Australopithecus africanus, a three to two million-year-old species from South Africa traditionally considered not to have engaged in habitual tool manufacture, has a human-like trabecular bone pattern in the bones of the thumb and palm (the metacarpals) consistent with forceful opposition of the thumb and fingers typically adopted during tool use. Nat Ecol Evol , published online May 18, 2020; doi: 10.1038/s41559-020-1207-5 Published in