One of the turning points in human evolution occurred 300,000 years earlier than previously believed.Traces of ash mixed with million-year-old bones and tools have been uncovered in the Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa.
Burned plants and bones were found in the cave, suggesting that its inhabitants cooked and perhaps even socialised around camp fires.
The huge cave near the edge of the Kalahari Desert has been the scene of previous excavations which have uncovered an extensive record of human occupation.
A team led by the University of Toronto and Hebrew University of Jerusalem has identified the earliest known evidence of the use of fire by human ancestors.
Microscopic traces of wood ash alongside animal bones and stone tools were found in a layer dated to one million years ago. Read More
