Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The moment the earliest known man-made fire was uncovered
The control of fire was a pivotal technology that dramatically
accelerated early human evolution. Fire provided warmth and protection from
predators, especially at night, allowing early humans to sleep on the ground in
caves rather than in trees. Also, fire allowed humans to cook food, which
fundamentally altered the early human diet. Cooking with fire increased the
digestibility and energy yield of food, expanded the food menu, and increased caloric
intake, which helped human brains grow. In the meantime, cooked food was easier
to digest and therefore, freed up energy for other body functions, including brain
development. Socially, fire enhanced communal activities. People gathered
around the fire, enjoyed social bonding, and tried to communicate more, which
helped evolve languages. Then, when did humans start making fire? A recent discovery
at an archaeological site in England showed a trace of human-created fire as
long as 400,000 years ago, 350,000 years
earlier than previously thought. Human evolution seems to have taken a very
long time.
Read the article and learn about when and how fire started helping human
evolution.
No comments:
Post a Comment