Kalahari · midday · evolution simulator

Persistence Hunt Evolution

Could early humans have evolved to run animals down in the heat? Simulated hunters chase kudu until one of them gives out. The ones who last longest or catch a kudu have more children, and their bodies change over 60 generations.

Scenario

Generation0

Time of day12:00

Air40°C

Chasing20

Caught0

Dropped out0

Speed

Generation

Up close

Hunter body temp (stops at 40°C)37.0°C

Hunter water left100%

Kudu body temp (collapses at 40.5°C)37.0°C

This generation's hunters

least hair10 of the 20 hunters, sorted by hairmost hair

Every chase · click a lane to watch it up close

bare skinfur sweat dropspanting puffs red outline = near 40°Clegs, body width and limb thickness come from the genes

Every chase is a replay from a Python simulation. Body heat, sweating, fur and panting use published numbers: Bramble & Lieberman 2004, Liebenberg 2006, Carrier 1984, Entin et al. 1999, Ruxton & Wilkinson 2011, Lasisi et al. 2023, Mehnert et al. 2000, Hora et al. 2020, Kleiber 1947, Achten & Jeukendrup 2003, Rapoport 2010, Taylor et al. 1982, Pontzer 2007, Coyle et al. 1992 and others. Lanes show the first of each hunter's three hunts; totals cover all 40 hunters.