Final answer:
Mesolithic tools were smaller, more refined, and made from a variety of materials including stone, bone, antler, and ivory, signifying an evolution from the larger and simpler stone tools of the Paleolithic era.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mesolithic era, denoting the "Middle Stone Age," represents a transitional period between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic eras, with significant advancements in toolmaking from the former to the latter. Compared to the Paleolithic era, known as the "Old Stone Age," which spanned from around 30,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE, the tools of the Mesolithic era were more refined, often smaller (known as microliths), and made from a wider variety of materials including antler, ivory, and bone, in addition to stone.
During the Upper Paleolithic, the emphasis shifted from the production of round flakes to the creation of blade tools, which were long, flat, and had a sharp edge—a feature described as the blade tool industry. This represents a considerable evolution from the Mousterian tool industry, where stone flakes were used as small knives, scrapers, and spearheads. As time progressed in the Mesolithic age, the tools became ever more diverse and specialized, incorporating smaller chipped stone tools in their construction, providing more precise utility in daily activities, such as hunting smaller game and gathering a varied range of food sources.