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I curious to understand why humans are not the prey of choice for top level predators? While examples of "man hunters" can be found in every group of top level predators, predatory attacks on humans are the exception not the norm, which is counter intuitive considering the speed, power, and defensive capabilities of unarmed humans, or have these predators had enough experience with armed humans to just stay the hell away - I doubt the later but I'm at a loss for explanations.
In reference to our ''current'' era or during the Hunter-Gatherer stone age epoch?
Apparently from what I've read from ancient human remains it doesn't appear that at any time modern humans were the prey of choice for top level predators.
Maybe I'm wrong but that's my impression.
Come to think of it, none of the great apes are the prey of choice for top level predators. And that seems to apply to intelligent marine life as well. You don't hear about Great Whites looking for dolphins or Killer Whales to hunt.
Apparently from what I've read from ancient human remains it doesn't appear that at any time modern humans were the prey of choice for top level predators.
Maybe I'm wrong but that's my impression.
Come to think of it, none of the great apes are the prey of choice for top level predators. And that seems to apply to intelligent marine life as well. You don't hear about Great Whites looking for dolphins or Killer Whales to hunt.
Yeap i've pondered about that as well as just how could small bands of some 50 to 75 humans leave africa 75,000 years ago to survive and eventually spawn to populate the entire planet is somewhat mind blowing to say the least. That being said i do think that several things come into play and so firstly that when confronted by an single ''apex'' predator while they could never have survived an 'one on one' encounter however with numbers there is strength as groups of males (possible females as well) all carrying sharpened stick and stone weapons could had fought off or even killed the predator and of course they assuredly produce fire which probably surved as an defensive measure as well.
You can see this survival approach in the animal world itself as for example back in the Pleistocene Epoch in North America Sabre Tooth Cats could had easily killed a Dire Wolf 'one on one' however Dire Wolves hunted and fought in packs and so it was extremely rare for a Sabre Cat to ever try to attack one as attacking one is attacking the entire pack or even today in the African Bush as an African Lion could easily kill a much smaller Hyena 'one on one' and yet because Hyenas hunt in much larger packs they will at numerous instances harrass and even frustrate the Lions to eventually take over their kill.
So i'm guessing that early stone age humans hunted and survived akin to how Hyenas do .
Last edited by Six Foot Three; 07-12-2012 at 01:53 PM..
Reason: changed - 6 ft 3
So i'm guessing that early stone age humans hunted and survived akin to how Hyenas do .
I guess. One argument that seems reasonable is that no animal has the endurance capacity of humans on the run. We may not be the fastest but we can outrun over distance any animal on the planet. A pack of humans even with rudimentary weapons was an unrelenting foe.
I also brought up an point about dolphins and killer whales, they to are the big brains of their domain and hunt in well orchestrated packs.
I curious to understand why humans are not the prey of choice for top level predators? While examples of "man hunters" can be found in every group of top level predators, predatory attacks on humans are the exception not the norm, which is counter intuitive considering the speed, power, and defensive capabilities of unarmed humans, or have these predators had enough experience with armed humans to just stay the hell away - I doubt the later but I'm at a loss for explanations.
You don't read history enough. Humans HAVE BEEN a prey of choice of the big cats in India, Burma, Africa, and other places. Documented stories of such behavior abounds in older National Geographic magazines.
You don't read history enough. Humans HAVE BEEN a prey of choice of the big cats in India, Burma, Africa, and other places. Documented stories of such behavior abounds in older National Geographic magazines.
I read plenty and humans as primary prey but rather sporadic aberrations which can often be pinpointed to a particular animal or group, like the pair of Tsavo lions that ravaged Kenya in the 1890's. Even in the extraordinary number of cases of fatal attacks by Tigers in India, separating attacks from for territorial reasons has to be separated from those that are the result of predation. I would further add that the likes of National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel usually go to great lengths to point out that when top level predators attack humans as prey, it is usually done by predators who have acquired a taste for human flesh from eating human remains or have been injured or suffer some impairment due to illness.
PS - I was reading National Geographic when is was in black and white, so please...
I think top-level predators don't prefer to hunt other top-level predators generally because there is easier prey. Much less risky to hunt a deer than a wolf or mountain lion, eh?
A pack of humans even with rudimentary weapons was an unrelenting foe.
Yeap and contrary to popular belief ancient stone age humans were indeed very intelligent (they had the exact same size brain as us today) and for example just look at the tools and weapons found at the Sibudu and Blombos caves in South Africa where they've been dated back to 75,000 to 80,000 BCE. One example of their intelligence and technology is that they made powerful bow and arrows as when constructing them they'd usually start off with either basalt or sandstone to fashion the initial crude shape of the bow and then to further refine them down they'd use super sharp Obsidian or Flint and for the bow strings they would usually use long strips of dried rawhide and attach one end to the bow then twist the string super tight to give it powerful tension and so when shot those arrows could kill any animal whether a gazelle, vervet monkee or even an lion.
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Originally Posted by ovcatto
I also brought up an point about dolphins and killer whales, they to are the big brains of their domain and hunt in well orchestrated packs.
Did you ever see the Nat Geo show about Great White Sharks where one of the boat tourist's with his camera filmed for the first time ever a battle between a Great White and a passing Orca as the Orca destroyed it.
Did you ever see the Nat Geo show about Great White Sharks where one of the boat tourist's with his camera filmed for the first time ever a battle between a Great White and a passing Orca as the Orca destroyed it.
Nooooo!
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