Humans’ First Use of Fire May Not Be So Long Ago

[PaleoPhil]

Tyler should love this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/science/15obfire.html?_r=1
"a new study argues that humans did not master fire until about 400,000 years ago" [instead of the 1.8-1.9 million years ago that Wrangham claims]

Wrangham's weak response: “It demands some serious thinking about how early Homo could have survived on a seasonally variable food supply despite having small teeth and small guts"

He should test a diet that includes raw meat/fat/organs/fish/shellfish/insects instead of relying on data from near-vegan raw diets.

I find that most who assume that Wrangham must be right that then actually read/hear his claims and "evidence" are horrified by the weak case and political agendas.

[MoonStalkeR]

Even if fire was discovered long ago, the original use would likely be limited to basic functions including warmth, light, and weaponry. It could have taken many generations before they decided to use such a destructive resource on nourishment, starting only with plants/vegetables that weren't edible raw.

[Sitting Coyote]

The original article in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science is open access, and can be seen here:

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/03/07/1018116108.full.pdf+html?sid=7fac4f73-c9aa-4fee-bee7-30b65ebec195

[goodsamaritan]

I like my meat and fat refrigerator cold.
Does that mean anything?

[PaleoPhil]

I like meatsicles! 

[kurite]

Even if fire was discovered well before meat eating it doesn't mean we cooked with it and obviously raw paleo is much more beneficial in terms of health than regular paleo so we obviously aren't meant to cook our food. Even if we do receive benefits from cooking such as making some inedible raw foods, into edible foods once again it doesn't mean we should be eating all cooked foods. Are there people who still think its actually healthier to cook all of their food?

[Sitting Coyote]

There are people who think it is healthier--and perhaps more 'civilized'--to cook all of their food.  I doubt those who read this thread are among that crowd, though.

[Löwenherz]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/science/15obfire.html?_r=1
"a new study argues that humans did not master fire until about 400,000 years ago" [instead of the 1.8-1.9 million years ago that Wrangham claims]

400.000 years? That's still quite a long time, isn't it?

400.000 div 20 = 20.000 generations

Anyway, it's more or less all speculation. The only thing for sure is that we know nothing.

Löwenherz

[PaleoPhil]

400.000 years? That's still quite a long time, isn't it? ....

Sure, but the key dates are around 2.3 million years ago and 1.5-1.9 mya, because that is when substantial morphological changes including brains size increase occur in the remains of hominins (australopithecus and homo erectus, IIRC). Wrangham's cooking hypothesis is supposed to explain the latter change. Does anyone know what Wrangham's explanation for the brain increase ca 2.3 mya is?