Earliest Known Toothpicks

STORY

By Michael Alan Prestwood

Mon 9 Sep 2024

Published 1 year ago.

Updated 1 year ago.

Toothpicks

Parietal bones and mandible of Homo habilis, OH 7 ("Johnny's Child"). This fossil, possibly from a 10- to 12-year-old male, was discovered in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, and dates back 1.7 million years. As the holotype for Homo habilis, it played a key role in defining the species. This replica is from the Institute of Evolution in Africa, displayed in the "Cradle of Humanity" exhibition at the Archaeological Regional Museum of Madrid.

Earliest Known Toothpicks

1.8 million years ago

Homo habilis, one of the earliest known human ancestors, emerged around 2.3 million years ago with a brain size significantly larger than modern chimpanzees. By around 1.8 million years ago, they became the first species known to use toothpicks for dental hygiene, alongside their advanced tool use for specific tasks like skinning animals and cutting plants.

Homo habilis, whose name means “handy man,” is widely regarded as the first species of human ancestors to demonstrate more purposeful and skilled toolmaking. Although their ancestors had been using basic stone tools for about a million years, Homo habilis advanced these techniques, crafting Oldowan tools for specific purposes like skinning animals, chopping bones to access marrow, and cutting plants. This leap in technology reflects not only their increased cognitive ability, supported by a brain size 20 to 50% larger than modern chimpanzees, but also their adaptive versatility in different environments.

By 1.8 million years ago, Homo habilis also became the first known hominins to use toothpicks, evidenced by grooves in fossilized teeth, marking an important behavioral step toward dental hygiene. Their flexible diet, improved tool use, and ability to adapt to diverse challenges positioned them as a key milestone in the evolution of early humans.

References

The wide use of toothpicks in every culture goes back to the beginning of the genus Homo all the way to modern times. The earliest Homo habilis evidence goes back 1.84 mya.

Homo habilis teeth before 1.84 mya do not show toothpick grooves suggesting the skills evolved before 1.84 mya and after 2.3 mya.

Toothpicking and Periodontal Disease in a Neanderthal Specimen – see references within this article.
Dental morphology in Homo habilis

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Michael Alan Prestwood
Author & Natural Philosopher

Prestwood writes on science-first philosophy, with particular attention to the convergence of disciplines. Drawing on his TST Framework, his work emphasizes rational inquiry grounded in empirical observation while engaging questions at the edges of established knowledge. With TouchstoneTruth positioned as a living touchstone, this work aims to contribute reliable, evolving analysis in an emerging AI era where the credibility of information is increasingly contested.