Humans used fire to cook food hundreds of thousands of years earlier than previously thought, according to a group of researchers led by Israel.
They found evidence for this in the 780.000-year-old remains of a giant carp-like fish discovered in northern Israel.
Scientists noted that "the transition from raw food to cooked food had a major impact on human development and behavior."
The previous earliest evidence of cooking dates back to around 170.000 BC.
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The remains of a two-meter fish were found at the archaeological site GešEr Benoit Jakob which stretches along the Jordan River about 14 kilometers north of the Sea of Galilee.
Researchers led by Irita Zohar of Tel Aviv University studied crystals from fish tooth enamel, which were found in large quantities at the site.
The way the crystals expanded was evidence that the fish was not exposed to direct fire, but cooked at a lower temperature.
"Acquiring the skill needed to cook food represents a significant evolutionary advance because it provided additional means for optimal use of available food resources," said Professor Nama Goren-Inbar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who led the excavation.
"It is even possible that they cooked not only fish, but also other types of meat and plants."
Scientists have determined that this fish once inhabited the ancient Hula Lake, which was drained in the 1950s in an attempt to eradicate malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Other archaeological evidence found at the site indicates that the lake was inhabited by hunter-gatherer groups for tens of thousands of years.
Scientists believe that the location of such freshwater areas offers a clue to the route by which man came from Africa to the Middle East and beyond.
Latest discoveries they are the result of a joint study involving scientists from Israeli, British and German institutions.
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