3 ms·
Use of fire predates anatomically modern humans by some hundreds of thousands of years. Consider the spread of lactose tolerance, a recent (no more than 10,000
by samatman 6y ago
Use of fire predates anatomically modern humans by some hundreds of thousands of years.
Consider the spread of lactose tolerance, a recent (no more than 10,000 years and perhaps less) mutation which has spread to 35% of humanity in that time. We have had plenty of time to co-evolve with fire, and doubtless, we have done so.
- ClumsyPilot 6y agoWell, we certainly didnt co-evolve to be fireproof in all this time, so what adaptation to fire do you suggest we did evolve? Its probably to do with cooked food, not vision - which is already co-evolved with the Sun, for when we are active/hunting/etc.
- samatman 6y agoFor one thing, we find a controlled fire soothing and attractive. Wild animals very much do not. It's likely that our mucus membranes have also adjusted to the presence of more smoke: this doesn't prevent cancer, which is a post-reproductive problem for the most part, but it does keep smoke inhalation from being immediately debilitating. Does it mean that fire doesn't fool our circadian rhythm into thinking it's still daytime? Sure, why wouldn't it? We've had a very long time to adjust, and getting appropriate amounts of sleep increases fitness in an obvious way. We haven't had more than a hundred years of adjusting to bright blue-wavelength light after dark, however. So it could affect our circadian rhythm, and as studies show, it does.