Kenya’s 1.6-million-year-old bones reveal planned meat processing by early humans

Analysis of over 1,000 bones from FwJj 80 in Kenya’s Koobi Fora Formation shows cut marks and marrow-extraction damage from stone tools, indicating early Homo butchered carcasses and transported prime meat away from kill sites across diverse habitats. This suggests planning and flexible foraging that could have supported higher energy needs for brain growth and social cooperation, with patterns similar to older sites like FLK Zinj and Kanjera South, pointing to continuity in meat-use strategies across landscapes.