Erectus people were the first innovative inventors and one of their major achievements were tools that created sparks to ignite fire. They discovered that rubbing two sticks together would create a spark to provide a means to cook their meat and to keep themselves warm.

The largest explosion of brain growth occurred at the time between late Homo erectus and early Homo sapien, 500,000-100,000 years ago. Not only did growth occur in brain size, but cranial capacity expanded remarkably as well. The inner proportions of the brain were also affected by these changes. Anthropologists consider this period the most remarkable evolution expansion in the brain to occur in all of the history of human evolution.

Much of the evidence we have about this species is due to the work of the Leakey family, that has made enormous contributions to the field of anthropology. Though many others have also contributed, the Leaky's have been particularly pivitol in the discovery and understanding of brain expansion during this period, among others.