Final answer:
Homo erectus is believed to have used fire as early as 1.7-2.0 million years ago, with evidence from sites like Zhoukoudian, China. The use of fire likely contributed to evolutionary changes in H. erectus, including smaller jaws and teeth, and increased brain size. Whether H. erectus could create fire or just used natural fire, it set the groundwork for later hominins'-controlled fire use.
Step-by-step explanation:
The capacity of Homo erectus (H. erectus) to make and control fire is a subject of historical and anthropological interest. There is compelling evidence that H. erectus may have used fire as far back as 1.7-2.0 million years ago (MYA), as suggested by the discovery of ancient hearths, charcoal, and charred animal bones at sites like Zhoukoudian in China.
This information about H. erectus indicates not only the potential for hunting and cooking meat but also the profound evolutionary impacts that fire use had on this species. For instance, as H. erectus consumed cooked food, the evolutionary pressure on jaw and tooth size decreased, leading to smaller teeth and jaws over time. Coupled with a gradual increase in brain size, these anatomical adaptations mark significant milestones in human evolution.
Moreover, H. erectus was the first hominin to migrate out of Africa and had a wide geographical range, suggesting that fire use could have been a crucial adaptation for survival in diverse environments. Despite uncertainties about whether H. erectus initiated fire or only used natural occurrences, the sophisticated use of fire by later hominins like Homo heidelbergensis, whose controlled fire use is well documented, stands on the ancestral shoulders of early practices possibly developed by H. erectus.