Not until around 500,000 years ago did “new species of deer, bovid, rhino, and horse appear” 8 in Europe. Around the same time, the cheetah, saber-tooth tiger, and dirk-tooth cat declined in the region, making more carcasses from the aforementioned species available to hominid foragers.
I often wonder how early hominids figured out which animals were safe to eat and which were not, as well as how different animals were hunted. While much of this knowledge likely came from trial and error, how was it communicated among group members to help everyone avoid danger? How did they learn to hunt animals like rhinos? A rhino is massive and certainly not a friendly creature. These hominids must have learned through deliberate, calculated attempts rather than random attacks. Of course, scavenging from already deceased animals was an option, but I imagine their curiosity and ingenuity eventually led them taking on such formidable beasts as a challenge. I find that idea incredibly fascinating.