Naming convention for fossil hominids?

Question

I was just curious but how do archaeologists decide whether something belongs to one genus or another based on just a few pieces of bone and tools? Supposedly the difference between Australopithecus and Homo was the use of tools but how to explain Australopithecus Gahri which was found with possible tools?

Answer 1

Paleoanthropologist typically try to name their fossils in the genus Homo to add value.  Leakey did that with Habilis.  That changed the definition of Homo.   A similar thing was done with Homo floresiensis.  Morewood knew that calling it Homo floresiensis would get the wrath of many out of Africa proponents and also expand the definition of Homo further.  They contemplated the genus name of Floranthropus but thought better about what grad students might nickname it based on that name (I'll let you figure that out).  In the end they decided on Homo.  It increases the value of the fossil if it gets accepted.  Generally it has been.

Answer 2

Not sure, but perhaps these websites will include stuff about naming conventions, and the processes by which scientists come up with names.

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/bein...

There's been much controversy about naming and figuring out whether this newly found fossil is a new species, sub-species, or example of an already found group, and so on.

They hash it all out, and generally come to some agreement.

Part of the beauty of science is that they revise in light of new evidence, and new interpretations of old evidence.

Answer 3

There is no cut and dried method of nomenclature or possible positioning on a "tree of Hominids."  The original archaeologist makes a guess and then it can be fought over for years as new evidence comes to light.

Occasionally, the whole mess is shaken and reorganized.  Science has no stone tablets to consult when it comes to the associations and order of Hominids.  This current organization for evidence is just that... the current organization.  It can change as new sites and specimens are discovered.