Persistence hunting

I’m going to take a quick break from Vancouver stuff to share an interesting bit I came across on the internet last week.  I’m trying to figure out exactly where I got the link from but neither the blogs I frequent nor reddit has anything about this so I have little idea how I came across it.

Persistence hunting is an early form of hunting developed nearly 2 million years ago by early hominids.  It is commonly thought by anthropologists that as humans diverged from Australopithecus, long distance running was a distinct advantage separating the groups, as modern human anatomy was much better equipped for the task.  Weapons were very rudimentary during this era and no efficient ranged weaponry existed at the time.   Though very rare, certain Sub-Saharan African and Northern Mexican cultures still engage in the practice amidst the driest and most arid parts of the world.  The method of the hunt is as follows.  Large land based prey is spotted, separated from a herd and tracked.  The chase begins and continues on and off for several hours, traveling distances of up to 35 km (~22 mi) total.  The goal is to continually put pressure on the animal and force it to run away repeatedly until finally exhaustion sets in.  Four legs are more efficient in the short game but bipedalism is superior in the long run.  Furthermore, our perspiration system, ligaments and muscle structures are highly adapted to running great distances, unlike any species on the planet.  Having succumb to fatigue, the kill is quick and easy for the hunters though it’s certainly been earned.  Though distance running and marathoning are merely exercise and recreation today, this highly adapted skill was essential for survival in our ancestor’s past.  Everyone’s favorite naturalist and documentary film voice David Attenborough gives us the visual representation in a segment from The Life of Mammals below.  More info here.

Persistence hunting may play a part in my quest for a job here.  The method of knocking on doors until they topple over has potential to show some effectiveness.