This is how human became the dominant animal and predator. Homo sapien is a very short-haired, long-legged, upright-walking ape, one that has four major capabilities:
1) Distance runner - there are very few land animals on this Earth that can outrun a human over distance, at least in hot weather. Humans can run down, over distance, almost all animals, due to our huge profusion of sweat glands and slow-twitch muscle fibers
2) Tool-use and making - homo sapien is the dominant tool user and maker. Other animals make use of tools, and in the case of our closest relatives, chimpanzees, they actually make tools in addition to using them, but human is the most advanced tool maker and user. Chimps also make primitive spears to stab at certain smaller animals too (they take branches and use their teeth to bite off the twigs and leaves and somewhat sharpen a point).
3) Projectile weaponry - homo sapien is the only ape capable of doing an overhand throw. This evolved because our ancestors found that making pointy sticks (spears) and throwing them at animals was quite a successful way to hunt. Other apes can throw and throw with force, but none can throw overhand or with the kind of precision and skill of a human. Chimps can sometimes manage a very weak and awkward overhand throw. Neanderthal, a cold-weather species of Homo, was physically much stronger than homo sapien, but could not do an overhand throw either. Neanderthal was an ambush hunter and hunted by getting up close and personal with the animal to stab it with spears, hence the physical strength.
4) Language - highly complex verbal communication.
Most predators are designed to sprint and bring down their prey by force, which is risky and limits what they can eat. The little apes called humans are very unique in their endurance capability and use of projectile weaponry, and are unlimited in what they can kill, because they don't need physical strength to kill as a result. Thus, the mightiest of beasts can be killed by humans.
However, much hunting in ancient times didn't rely on large groups of men throwing spears bare-handed. Humans tended to hunt in smaller groups and utilized slings (another nasty and brutal, but very simple weapon) to sling stones into the eyes of animals (say mammoths) while then another hunter would throw a spear using a spear thrower. The spear thrower allowed one to throw a spear over a much greater distance (and hence engage the animal from a safer distance) and/or with a lot more force. The spear thrower was the dominant form of hunting tool for tens of thousands of years and the sling the dominant military projectile weapon until the invention of the bow and arrow, and even then, the sling could send projectiles further distances then early bows. To this day, shepherds in certain countries use slings to ward off wolves.
It is fascinating how with two such simple tools (sling and spear thrower), humans are able to kill any animal.
1) Distance runner - there are very few land animals on this Earth that can outrun a human over distance, at least in hot weather. Humans can run down, over distance, almost all animals, due to our huge profusion of sweat glands and slow-twitch muscle fibers
2) Tool-use and making - homo sapien is the dominant tool user and maker. Other animals make use of tools, and in the case of our closest relatives, chimpanzees, they actually make tools in addition to using them, but human is the most advanced tool maker and user. Chimps also make primitive spears to stab at certain smaller animals too (they take branches and use their teeth to bite off the twigs and leaves and somewhat sharpen a point).
3) Projectile weaponry - homo sapien is the only ape capable of doing an overhand throw. This evolved because our ancestors found that making pointy sticks (spears) and throwing them at animals was quite a successful way to hunt. Other apes can throw and throw with force, but none can throw overhand or with the kind of precision and skill of a human. Chimps can sometimes manage a very weak and awkward overhand throw. Neanderthal, a cold-weather species of Homo, was physically much stronger than homo sapien, but could not do an overhand throw either. Neanderthal was an ambush hunter and hunted by getting up close and personal with the animal to stab it with spears, hence the physical strength.
4) Language - highly complex verbal communication.
Most predators are designed to sprint and bring down their prey by force, which is risky and limits what they can eat. The little apes called humans are very unique in their endurance capability and use of projectile weaponry, and are unlimited in what they can kill, because they don't need physical strength to kill as a result. Thus, the mightiest of beasts can be killed by humans.
However, much hunting in ancient times didn't rely on large groups of men throwing spears bare-handed. Humans tended to hunt in smaller groups and utilized slings (another nasty and brutal, but very simple weapon) to sling stones into the eyes of animals (say mammoths) while then another hunter would throw a spear using a spear thrower. The spear thrower allowed one to throw a spear over a much greater distance (and hence engage the animal from a safer distance) and/or with a lot more force. The spear thrower was the dominant form of hunting tool for tens of thousands of years and the sling the dominant military projectile weapon until the invention of the bow and arrow, and even then, the sling could send projectiles further distances then early bows. To this day, shepherds in certain countries use slings to ward off wolves.
It is fascinating how with two such simple tools (sling and spear thrower), humans are able to kill any animal.
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