Final answer:
Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis were the smart apes that made stone tools in the late Pliocene. They had the cognitive ability to plan and execute precise chips to create sharp blades.
Step-by-step explanation:
The smart apes that made stone tools in the late Pliocene were Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis. These species lived in Africa about two and a half million years ago and were capable of making stone tools. Homo habilis had a brain volume larger than that of a chimpanzee and had the cognitive ability to plan and execute precise chips to create sharp blades. The tools made by these early humans, known as Oldowan tools, were used for various purposes including hunting, butchering, and accessing bone marrow.