Humans Learn to Find Foods: Hunting and Gathering
Scientists believe that humans evolved for millions of years before they
learned to use fire about 500,000 to one million years ago. The oldest
fossils so far, excavated mainly in Africa, put the beginning of human like creatures—hominids—at between six and seven million years ago.2
From the jaws and teeth of these hominids, scientists deduce that they
were primarily plant eaters—herbivores. Our back teeth, the molars, are
flat like stones for grinding grain and plants and that is what we still use
them for when we chew. Scientists think that over millions of years,
early humans developed two survival advantages: (1) between 4 million
and 1 million B.C., human brain size tripled, growing to what it is today,
approximately 1,400 cubic centimeters; and (2) they stood upright on
two feet—became bipedal—which allowed them to see farther and left
their hands free to use weapons for protection and to kill animals for
food. Food historians speculate that early humans learned to like the
taste of meat from small animals that could be caught and killed easily,
like lizards and tortoises, and from scavenging the leftover carcasses of
large animals killed by other large animals.3
These early humans were hunter-gatherers, nomads who followed the
food wherever it wandered or grew. Between 40,000 B.C. and 12,000 B.C.,
Asian peoples went east and crossed into North and South America. The
Ice Age had dried up the seas, creating dry land between Asia and Alaska,
making it possible to walk from one continent to the other. So, the first
people in the Americas were Asians.
Work related to food was divided by gender. Men left the home to
hunt animals by following them to where they went for food, especially
salt. Women gathered fruits, nuts, berries, and grasses because their lives
revolved around a cycle of pregnancy, birth, and child rearing.4 Gathering was more reliable than hunting. Becoming carnivores—meat eaters—
probably helped humans survive, too. In case of a shortage of plants,
there was an alternate food source. Now we were omnivores—we ate
everything. We still have the front or canine teeth, sharp like a dog’s for
tearing meat, to prove it. However, human teeth weren’t sharp enough
to pierce animal hides. For that, something else was necessary—tools.
Scientists believe that humans invented tools about 1.9 million to 1.6
million years ago. Early humans butchered animal meat, even elephants,
with blades made out of stone, which is why it is called the Stone Age
(as opposed to the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, which came later). Archaeologists call these people Homo habilis—“handy man.” Then, approximately 1.5 million to 500,000 years ago, another group appeared
called Homo erectus—”upright man.” These people migrated north to Europe and east to India, China, and Southeast Asia. They had better tools
than any of the other groups. And for the first time, they had fire.