Human energy expenditure and thermoregulation during persistence hunting in the Namib

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F25%3A10505281" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/25:10505281 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=4X4KeROuX6" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=4X4KeROuX6</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103773" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103773</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Human energy expenditure and thermoregulation during persistence hunting in the Namib

Original language description

Chasing prey to exhaustion on foot-persistence hunting-has been hypothesized to play a key role in the evolution of human endurance, energetics, and thermoregulation. However, direct physiological data from such pursuits are lacking, particularly from open arid environments where persistence hunting may have originated. We report the first physiological measurements from an unacclimatized ultrarunner and hunter, accompanied by three acclimatized hunters, during six persistence pursuits of Oryx gazella in the Namib desert. The pursuits spanned 49.5 km on foot in 7.8 hours over 3 days. Two pursuits were successful: A healthy oryx was caught after 2 hours (31% of time running), and an injured oryx after 1 hour of walking only. Over the 3 days, persistence hunting yielded 1882-3727 kcal per man-hour, surpassing net return rates reported for hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists and net energy equivalent to the daily needs of 50 active individuals. Daily energy expenditure (5024 kcal day(-1)) and water turnover (11.4 l day&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;) were high but within ranges reported for subsistence populations in hot climates. Water loss remained below the critical dehydration threshold. Despite high air (36-41 °C) and ground (43-60 °C) temperatures, the hunter maintained a safe core temperature (&lt;=39 °C), while the oryx reached hyperthermic levels (44 °C). These findings suggest that persistence hunting in arid environments is energetically viable and thermally manageable, even for unacclimatized individuals. The relatively low proportion of running-and its complete absence when pursuing disadvantaged prey-supports the potential feasibility of persistence hunting even among hominins without advanced endurance running adaptations.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10600 - Biological sciences

Project

—

Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Human Evolution

ISSN

0047-2484

e-ISSN

1095-8606

Volume of the periodical

209

Issue of the periodical within the volume

December

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

12

Pages from-to

103773

UT code for WoS article

001617106900001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105020888080