Comment on "Well, now I know how Will feels..."

• ShaunaTheDead@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  There's actually a Man versus Horse Marathon and the horses win quite a lot.

  I think at longer distances Humans would start winning more though.

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  • makyo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I remember reading something about how long distance running is humanity’s bedrock. They say we might have evolved to run long without getting tired, maybe to catch animals. I’m not sure if it’s true, but it makes me want to get up and go for a run when I need a little energy boost.

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    • ShaunaTheDead@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Yeah, we're what's known as persistence hunters. The main thing limiting animals in distance is overheating, and Humans have the best cooling system in the entire animal kingdom with our entire bodies covered in sweat glands and little hair to hold in heat. We're designed not to be the fastest, or the stronger, but to outlast. We chase our prey until it gives up from exhaustion.

      Probably a big part of why we evolved intelligence is that it's important to be able to track your prey as a persistence hunter. Being able to notice patterns like a snapped branch means the prey went that way, or recognizing animal prints would have played a huge part in who survived so it was selected for.

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