Why are our brains shrinking?

Re:Why are our brains shrinking? by inawarminister on Thursday October 28, 2021 @07:19PM (#29033318)

AFAIK human natural niche was persistence hunting. Due to our body shape and ability to sweat, we can outrun prey species in the long run. That's how we're engineered, by natural selection in Ice Age Africa. Persistent trekkers that can throw sticks and stones.

Later, we domesticated dogs and other species, then made more and more advanced technologies. But at it's core? Our niche was that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Why are our brains shrinking? by robbedpeter on Thursday October 28, 2021 @09:16PM (#29034127)

I'm pretty sure that humans are apex persistence hunters - we can run any animal to death, not just prey species. It's a brutally effective adaptation. It's the greatest weapon we had until fire.

Even fat modern lazy humans have it in them - kick in survival mode brain chemistry and enough luck to keep chasing a deer's trail for days, the deer will die of exhaustion before the human.

[ Parent | on HN ]