Final answer:
The Mousterian stone tool industry is mainly associated with Neanderthals or Homo neanderthalensis, characterized by the specialized use of flake tools, and it dates to around 300,000 to 40,000 years ago.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hominin species associated with the Mousterian stone tool industry was primarily the Neanderthals, known scientifically as Homo neanderthalensis. This industry is characterized by the production of flake tools rather than core tools. Flakes were struck from cores and used as tools themselves, which led to smaller, sharper, and more versatile implements. Mousterian tools included hand-axes and various tools made from stone flakes, such as knives for cutting meat, scrapers for cleaning leather, and spearheads for hunting.
The Middle Paleolithic era, where the Mousterian stone tools were dominant, dates from approximately 300,000 to 40,000 years ago and spans across Europe, North Africa, and southwestern Asia. Advances in the Mousterian technique eventually led to more specialized tools and were a significant development in the technological evolution of hominins.