From the Hunted to the Hunter | The Great Human Race

It's thought that Homo erectus became the first early humans to actively hunt their prey, elevating themselves from scavenger to predator.

"Bring it!"

"Yeah, that's absolutely dead sure! This is her first kill. We're gonna make the most of this entire animal. Not a bad job hunting, though! When I threw the club, it hit its leg and broke it. Totally broken. We need to slow it down. Then this is where you speared it."

"I'm talking its organs. I wrestled all right up the middle. I bet the organs are intact."

"Yes, they are. Organs are the most nutrient-dense part of the animal and rarely left for scavengers. But as hunters, Homo erectus could finally consume the entire kill. Come on, right over liver and the heart. You're in charge of that."

"All right, we're split open. It's gonna cook really that way."

Cooking organs partially processes the meat outside of the body, unlocking valuable nutrients such as iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B, which are thought to have accelerated the development of Homo erectus's growing brain.

"Okay, parts ready! The culmination of all these technologies: the ability to hunt and kill and butcher and cook this animal over a fire is huge for us, and we've never looked back."