Our ancestors may have harnessed and used fire much earlier than we thought

The ability to harness and control fire was a crucial turning point in our human evolution; perhaps the crucial turning point in determining the type of humans we are today.

We are unique among animals in that humans eat a diet rich in both cooked and “nonthermally processed” food. Our ancestors who invented food processing (including cooking) gained critical advantages in survival and fitness through increased caloric intake.