▁explo iting ▁a ▁particular ▁stage , ▁and ▁by ▁creating ▁these ▁different ▁types ▁of ▁patch es , ▁fire ▁allows ▁a ▁greater ▁number ▁of ▁species ▁to ▁exist ▁within ▁a ▁landscape . ▁ ▁F oss il ▁record ▁ ▁Human ▁control ▁ ▁The ▁ability ▁to ▁control ▁fire ▁was ▁a ▁dram atic ▁change ▁in ▁the ▁hab its ▁of ▁early ▁humans . ▁M aking ▁fire ▁to ▁generate ▁heat ▁and ▁light ▁made ▁it ▁possible ▁for ▁people ▁to ▁cook ▁food , ▁simultaneously ▁increasing ▁the ▁variety ▁and ▁avail ability ▁of ▁nut ri ents ▁and ▁reducing ▁disease ▁by ▁killing ▁organ isms ▁in ▁the ▁food . ▁The ▁heat ▁produced ▁would ▁also ▁help ▁people ▁stay ▁warm ▁in ▁cold ▁weather , ▁en abling ▁them ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁cool er ▁clim ates . ▁Fire ▁also ▁kept ▁no ct urn al ▁pred ators ▁at ▁bay . ▁Ev idence ▁of ▁cook ed ▁food ▁is ▁found ▁from ▁, ▁although ▁fire ▁was ▁probably ▁not ▁used ▁in ▁a ▁controlled ▁fashion ▁until ▁ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁evidence ▁that ▁fire ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁in ▁a ▁controlled ▁fashion ▁about ▁ 1 ▁million ▁years ▁ago . ▁Ev idence ▁becomes ▁w ides p read ▁around ▁ 5 0 ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 ▁thousand ▁years ▁ago , ▁suggesting ▁regular ▁use ▁from ▁this ▁time ; ▁interesting ly , ▁resistance ▁to ▁air ▁poll ution ▁started ▁to ▁evol ve ▁in ▁human ▁populations ▁at ▁a ▁similar ▁point ▁in ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁fire ▁became ▁progress ively ▁more ▁s oph istic ated , ▁with ▁it ▁being ▁used ▁to ▁create