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Ausoge t1_j9hgy53 wrote

However we do have several adaptations that are very well-suited to the endurance hunter lifestyle - the ability to sweat (quite rare in animals in general), hairlessness (which allows passive heat radiation as well as more effective sweat evaporation), a large surface-area-to-volume ratio (again, good for surface cooling), an upright stance allowing us to see greater distances than most prey animals, and bipedal locomation, which is not very fast but is extremely energy-efficient. We also have spectacularly well-adjusted physiology for the throwing of projectiles, which somewhat compensates for our lack of speed. Our combined torso and shoulder mobility is unparalleled in the animal kingdom.

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ToastyTheDragon t1_j9hj129 wrote

The high surface area to volume ratio surprises me. Do we have any data on, say, averages across different species to compare to?

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