Homo habilis is the hominin species nicknamed “Handy Man,” because its scientific name means “handy” or “skillful” human.
The species name habilis was chosen because some fossils associated with it were found alongside Oldowan stone tools. Homo habilis lived in eastern and southern Africa during the Early Pleistocene, roughly 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago, although the exact dates and classification of some fossils remain debated.
Its fossils show a mixture of traits. Homo habilis generally had a larger brain and smaller teeth than australopiths, but it retained several more primitive features, including relatively long arms. Scientists disagree about which fossils belong in the species and whether all associated tools were actually made by it.
“Handy Man” is therefore a nickname based on the Latin meaning of the species name, not proof that Homo habilis was the first toolmaker. Earlier hominins may also have used stone tools.