Human energy expenditure and thermoregulation during persistence hunting in the Namib

Kód výsledku v 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>

Výsledek na webu

<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>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Human energy expenditure and thermoregulation during persistence hunting in the Namib

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

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.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Human energy expenditure and thermoregulation during persistence hunting in the Namib

Popis výsledku anglicky

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.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10600 - Biological sciences

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

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

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

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

Název periodika

Journal of Human Evolution

ISSN

0047-2484

e-ISSN

1095-8606

Svazek periodika

209

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

December

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

12

Strana od-do

103773

Kód UT WoS článku

001617106900001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105020888080