Hominins have been using fire for various reasons for at least 1 million years SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Mastering fire may have also led to genetic changes that helped early humans survive mild burn injuries, but this evolutionary trait could complicate the treatment of more severe cases today.
An early-stage study suggests that the selection of genes preventing deadly infections that could arise from minor burns were prioritised in early Homo sapiens, but these same genes interfere with the healing of severe ones. This may be because, in primitive times, people with severe burns had almost no hope of surviving.…
