Homo Habilis was a secies of the tribe Hominini, which lived between 2.4 and 1.5 million years ago. His name means "handy man" or "able man". Homo habilis was short, with disproportionately long arms compared to modern humans. His remains are often acompanied by primitive stone tools. Answer: The species was nemed because evidence indicates that members of the spieces used stone tools.