Hominin fire use in the Okote member at Koobi Fora, Kenya: New evidence for the old debate

Hlubik, Sarah; Cutts, Russell; Braun, David R.; Berna, Francesco; Feibel, Craig S.; Harris, J. W.

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.01.010

Cited by 64 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Thus, in case putative hominins were characterized by lower body temperatures, the "cooked food" hypothesis pioneered by Richard Wrangham and collaborators [39,40,43] acquires greater significance. While we do not have an unambiguous picture of whether genus Homo was capable of fire control in the early and mid Pleistocene, recent developments on this front -especially in connection with the site FxJj20 in Koobi Fora, Kenya [84,85] -seem promising [86].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 85%

The role of body temperature in regulating brain and body sizes in hominin evolution

Lingam

2020

Preprint

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A number of models have posited that the concomitant evolution of large brains and increased body sizes in hominins was constrained by metabolic costs. In such studies, the impact of body temperature has not been sufficiently addressed despite the well-established fact that the rates of most physiological processes are manifestly temperature-dependent. Hence, the role of body temperature in modulating the number of neurons and body size is investigated in this work by means of a simple quantitative model. It is determined that modest deviations in the body temperature (i.e., by a few degrees Celsius) might bring about substantive changes in brain and body parameters. In particular, a higher body temperature might prove amenable to an increase in the number of neurons, a higher brain-to-body mass ratio and fewer hours expended on feeding activities, while the converse applies when the temperature is lowered. It is therefore argued that future studies must endeavour to explore and incorporate the effects of body temperature in metabolic theories of hominin evolution, while also accounting for other factors such as foraging efficiency, diet and fire control in tandem. * Electronic address: mlingam@fit.edu 1 It is, however, important to recognize that large brains are not necessarily better due to the fact that additional factors such as "modularity and interconnectivity" [4] also determine several aspects of cognition [5,6].

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 85%

The role of body temperature in regulating brain and body sizes in hominin evolution

Lingam

2020

Preprint

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“…While evidence on sex dimorphism and philopatry is inconclusive, delayed weaning indicated by calcium isotopes [115] suggests provisioning, division of labour and interdependence between sexes. There is also a marked cultural transition in Homo erectus, with more persistent production of Oldowan tools (from 2 Mya) [110] and the more complex Acheulean tools (1.76 Mya) overlapping in time and sites [116], bone and shell tools [117,118], innovation in handaxe production from 900 kya [119], systematic control of fire from at least 780 kya [120,121] and dispersal routes following raw material sources [122]. In summary, increased within-group cooperation, and possibly gestural teaching [76], may have reduced the risk of cultural loss and facilitated transmission of technology compared to australopithecines.…”

Section: Box 2 Evolutionary History Of the Hominin Foraging Nichementioning

confidence: 99%

The origins of human cumulative culture: from the foraging niche to collective intelligence

Migliano¹,

Vinicius²

2021

Preprint

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Various studies have investigated cognitive mechanisms underlying culture in humans and other great apes. However, the adaptive reasons for the evolution of uniquely sophisticated cumulative culture in our species remain unclear. We propose that the cultural capabilities of humans are the evolutionary result of a stepwise transition from the ape-like lifestyle of earlier hominins to the foraging niche still observed in extant hunter-gatherers. Recent ethnographic, archaeological and genetic studies have provided compelling evidence that the components of the foraging niche (social egalitarianism, sexual and social division of labour, extensive co-residence and cooperation with unrelated individuals, bilocality, fluid sociality and high between-camp mobility) engendered a unique multilevel social structure where the cognitive mechanisms underlying cultural evolution (high-fidelity transmission, innovation, teaching, recombination and ratcheting) evolved as adaptations. As a result, multilevel sociality is behind a ‘social ratchet’ or irreversible task specialisation that splits the burden of cultural knowledge across individuals, which may explain why human collective intelligence is uniquely able to produce cumulative culture. The foraging niche perspective accounts for why a complex gene-culture dual inheritance system evolved uniquely in humans, and interprets the cultural, morphological and genetic origins of Homo sapiens as a process of recombination of innovations appearing in differentiated but interconnected populations.

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“…Fire use by humans is related to cooking. Knapped stones in Kenya, dating back to 1.5 million years ago, were identified as being evidence of exposure by humans to high heat (6). Meat has been roasted more than 1.8 million years; bread made 30,000 years ago; beer, wine, and cheese first produced between 7,000 and 5,000 BC, and olive oil and palm oil introduced between 5,400 and 3,000 BC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing the Role of Food Processing for Improved Integration in Sustainable Food Chains

2020

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Food scientists need to work together with agriculturists, nutritionists, civil society, and governments to develop an integrative approach to feed a growing population sustainably. Current attention on food sustainability mainly concentrates on production agriculture and on nutrition, health, and well-being. Food processing, the necessary conversion of raw materials to edible, functional, and culturally acceptable food products, is an important link between production and consumption within the food value chain. Without increased attention to the role of food processing for a maintainable food supply, we are unlikely to succeed in addressing the mounting challenges in delivering sustainable diets for all people. The objective is to draw on multidisciplinary insights to demonstrate why food processing is integral to a future food supply. We aim to exemplify the importance of essential relevant sustainability indicators and impact assessment for developing informed strategies to feed the world within planetary boundaries. We provide a brief outlook on sustainable food sources, review food processing, and recommend future directions. We highlight the challenges and suggest strategies for improving the sustainability of food systems, to hopefully provide a catalyst for considering implementable initiatives for improving food and nutrition security.

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Hominin fire use in the Okote member at Koobi Fora, Kenya: New evidence for the old debate

Cited by 64 publications

References 54 publications

The role of body temperature in regulating brain and body sizes in hominin evolution

The role of body temperature in regulating brain and body sizes in hominin evolution

The origins of human cumulative culture: from the foraging niche to collective intelligence

Advancing the Role of Food Processing for Improved Integration in Sustainable Food Chains

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