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How did the use of fire for cooking influence early human evolution?

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Chef in a white uniform and hat cooking with a frying pan over a stove, with steam rising in a professional restaurant kitchen. — cooking A chef cooking in a restaurant kitchen.

The use of fire for cooking was a transformative development in human evolution. By making food more digestible, cooking allowed early humans to absorb more calories and nutrients, which expanded the variety of food sources available to them.1

This shift in food preparation is widely believed to have contributed to significant anatomical changes in hominin development. Specifically, the use of fire, alongside improved cutting and grinding tools, is linked to a documented reduction in the size of human jaws and teeth over millions of years. While the exact timeline of when hominins gained control over fire remains a subject of scientific debate, evidence suggests that early species such as Homo erectus may have utilized fire as early as 1.5 million years ago. Ultimately, mastering fire provided early humans with essential advantages—including warmth, protection, and more efficient nutrition—that helped set them on the path toward civilization.213