>
> "We strongly suspect hominids began using fire about 1.9 million years
ago,
> when Homo erectus appeared," he added

This is also the time that many other species increased in size to take
advantage of vast areas of steppe-tundra.  These species were collectively
known as the Pleistocene Megafauna.  Hominids had to evolve into a mega form
to take advantage of this new enviroment.  Game of all kinds existed in this
enviroment in densities unknown in historical times and far surpassing the
original tropical grassland enviroment of the original hominids.
>
> "Learning how to cook probably also allowed humans to develop their
> unique monogamous society, the researchers reported" --
>
Lifetime monagamy developed in responce to economic conditions brought about
by the invention of the plow according to a Scientific American article
intittled "High Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa".  In the aproximately 5% of
human cultures (of over 3,000 studied by anthropologists) that practice
lifetime monagamy, plow based agrairian cultures predominate.  Because of
tetse flys, Tropical Africa remained pologamous.

> "Modern humans share food, but apes don't," Laden said. "This is a
> transition between apelike behavior and humanlike behavior."
>
Sharing, like many other "humane" practices exist in Nature only in
carnivores who hunt in packs.  Herbavores don't behave in this manner.
This is what makes dogs and Harris Hawks (the only birds of prey that hunt
in packs) such pleasant hunting companions.

Ray Audette
Author "NeanderThin"