which species was thought to have been the first that was able to control fire? course hero

How did fire control change the course of evolution?

Fire control changed the course of human evolution, allowing our ancestors to stay warm, cook food, ward off predators and venture into harsh climates. It also had important social and behavioral implications, encouraging groups of people to gather together and stay up late.

When did humans first use fire to control wildfires?

Evidence of widespread control of fire by anatomically modern humans dates to approximately 125,000 years ago. Use and control of fire was a gradual process, proceeding through more than one stage. One was a change in habitat, from dense forest, where wildfires were common, to savanna (mixed grass/woodland) where wildfires were of higher intensity.

How did the discovery of fire lead to specialized social roles?

As early they began to understand how to use fire, such a useful skill may have led to specialized social roles through the separation of cooking from hunting. The early discovery of fire had numerous benefits for early humans. They were able to protect themselves from the weather, and were also able to devise an entirely new way of hunting.

Why was fire so important to early humans?

The early discovery of fire had numerous benefits for early humans. They were able to protect themselves from the weather, and were also able to devise an entirely new way of hunting. Evidence of fire has been found in caves, suggesting it was used to keep warm.

How long has fire control been around?

Campfire remains from a South African cave suggest fire control by early humans dates back 1 million years. Fire control changed the course of human evolution, allowing our ancestors to stay warm, cook food, ward off predators and venture into harsh climates.

Where was the first campfire found?

The oldest unequivocal evidence, found at Israel’s Qesem Cave, dates back 300,000 to 400,000 years, associating the earliest control of fire with Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. Now, however, an international team of archaeologists has unearthed what appear to be traces of campfires that flickered 1 million years ago.

Who argued that cooking allowed humans to consume more calories?

Scientists working outside the realm of archaeology—most notably primatologist Richard Wrangham —have persuasively argued that Homo erectus tamed fire, Berna noted. Wrangham has long been championing the theory that cooking allowed human ancestors to consume more calories and, as a result, to develop larger brains.

How long ago did Homo erectus live?

Characterized by its upright stance and robust build, this early hominin species lived from 1.8 million to 200,000 years ago . “The evidence from Wonderwerk Cave suggests that Homo erectus had some familiarity with fire,” said Francesco Berna, an archaeology professor at Boston University and the lead author of a paper on the team’s findings.

How did fire help early hominids?

It acted as a source of warmth, making getting through low nighttime temperatures possible and allowing survival in colder environments, through which geographic expansion from tropical and subtropical climates to areas of temperate climates containing colder winters began to occur. The use of fire continued to aid hominids at night by also acting as a means by which to ward off predatory animals.

Where did the first controlled fire take place?

Recent findings support that the earliest known controlled use of fire took place in Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa, 1.0 Mya.

What did the hominids eat?

Before the advent of fire, the hominid diet was limited to mostly plant parts composed of simple sugars and carbohydrates such as seeds, flowers, and fleshy fruits. Parts of the plant such as stems, mature leaves, enlarged roots, and tubers would have been inaccessible as a food source due to the indigestibility of raw cellulose and starch. Cooking, however, made starchy and fibrous foods edible and greatly increased the diversity of other foods available to early humans. Toxin-containing foods including seeds and similar carbohydrate sources, such as cyanogenic glycosides found in linseed and cassava, were incorporated into their diets as cooking rendered them nontoxic.

What was the first art made with fire?

Fire was also used in the creation of art. Scientists have discovered several small, 1- to 10-inch statues in Europe referred to as the Venus figurines. These statues date back to the Paleolithic period. Several of these figures were created from stone and ivory, while some were created with clay and then fired. These are some of the earliest examples of ceramics. Fire was also commonly used to create pottery. Although the advent of pottery was first thought to have begun with the use of agriculture around 10,000 years ago, scientists in China discovered pottery fragments in the Xianrendong Cave that were about 20,000 years old. During the Neolithic Age, which began about 10,000 years ago, though, the creation and use of pottery became far more widespread. These items were often carved and painted with simple linear designs and geometric shapes.

How did fire help humans?

In addition to the many other benefits that fire provided to early humans, it also had a major impact on the innovation of tool and weapon manufacture. The use of fire by early humans as an engineering tool to modify the effectiveness of their weaponry was a major technological advancement. In an archeological dig that dates to around 400,000 years ago, researchers excavating in an area known as the 'Spear Horizon' in Schöningen, in the district of Helmstedt, Germany, unearthed eight wooden spears among a trove of preserved artifacts. The spears were found along with stone tools and horse remains, one of which still had a spear through its pelvis. At another dig site located in Lehringen, Germany, a fire-hardened lance was found thrust into the rib cage of a ' straight-tusked elephant '. These archeological digs provide evidence that suggests the spears were deliberately fire-hardened, which allowed early humans the ability to modify their hunting tactics and use the spears as thrusting rather than throwing weapons. Researchers further uncovered environmental evidence that indicated early humans may have been waiting in nearby vegetation that provided enough concealment for them to ambush their prey.

Why was fire important to humans?

Evidence of fire has been found in caves, suggesting it was used to keep warm. This is significant, because it allowed them to migrate to cooler climates and thrive. This evidence also suggests that fire was used to clear out caves prior to living in them. Use of shelter was a major advancement in protection from the weather and from other species.

What is the process of controlling fire?

Control of fire. Use and control of fire was a gradual process, proceeding through more than one stage. One was a change in habitat, from dense forest, where wildfires were common, to savanna (mixed grass/woodland) where wildfires were of higher intensity.