I have one big problem with your arguments, Geoff, and that is that all over
the Earth, the vast majority of people cook their foods, and have so for as
long as we have record. We also have plenty of evidence from scorched bones
etc that paleo people did cook at least some of their food.

I think Wrangham exaggerates in order to make a name for himself, but that
doesn't mean he is all wrong.

Very primitive people made quite nice stone tools, showing that they were
pretty darn clever. They must have had considerable material culture of wood
etc that doesn't remain in the fossil record. It is not at all hard to
imagine a flint knapper observing the sparks cast as he whacks one stone
against another. In dry conditions an occasional spark can easily start
smoking and even catch fire.

Humans do use fire and do cook their food. The groups that don't cook their
food are so rare as to almost be legendary, Eskimos eat a lot of raw food,
but cook some. Supposedly, Andaman Islanders don't use fire at all. I am not
sure I believe that. Also, Tasmanian aboriginals supposedly didn't use fire.
Know any others?

Perhaps you have trouble understanding why people would bother to cook, but
simply the smell and taste difference between cooked and raw meat explains
it all to me. Even wild carnivores are trapped using cooked meat. Why would
they come by at all if it didn't smell good?

Tom