Archaeologists have been able to find traces of plant processing in stone tools of prehistoric Filipinos. This has been reported by the Public Scientific Library.
Ancient people used plant materials extensively to create textiles and rope. However, plant-based materials such as baskets and strings are rarely preserved in soil, especially in the tropics, so archaeologists cannot investigate prehistoric plant material processing practices. In Southeast Asia, the oldest artifacts of plant fiber are about 8,000 years old.
Now Hermine Haufler and colleagues discovered Indirect evidence of the use of plant material at Tabon Cave in Palawan (Philippines). The age of the discovered stone tools is 39,000 years. These instruments show accumulated microscopic damage during use. Contemporary Filipino natives use similar tools for cutting plants such as bamboo and palm trees, turning the rigid stems into flexible fibers for binding or knitting. Modern instruments have been studied using microscopes and it has been found that this activity leaves a characteristic microscopic pattern of damage. The same pattern was found on three stone artifacts in Tabon Cave.
This is one of the earliest evidence of fiber use in Southeast Asia. Additionally, the study demonstrates a method for indirect analysis of archaeological material.
Formerly paleontologists to solvethat the ancient megalodon shark was warm-blooded.