Starting about 300,000 years ago language was used by a group of early human males to overthrow the alpha male bully.
According Richard Wrangham, primate alpha males bully lesser males and get what they want (food, females) through force and bullying. Typically a group of primates has an alpha male with subordinate males.
Early humans, were able to break through this dynamic by removing the bully with force (killing him), achieved via a collection of males combining their efforts, but this was only possible with language.
Language enabled the strategy. The communication of an intent, the commitment to it and the coordination during the event towards a high risk, high gain outcome.
The risk is too high for any individual to take on, but not as a group.
As a result, language and fire changed the course of evolution for humans and how we operate and survive as groups.
Other mammals haven’t been able to develop language, so they still have alpha males in their groups. They cannot coordinate their collective efforts towards a common goal, but humans can.