Human v Chimp fight

Evangelion said:
I'm willing to bet that never happened.
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I'm willing to bet it did. In a few tribes, killing a lion in single combat while armed only with a spear was a thing that happened and brought honour to the warrior who did so. The Masai, for example. Of course, trying that was often fatal to the human. It wouldn't have had a high status if it wasn't so dangerous. But it did happen.

Tierzoo is an interesting channel that covers comparative biology of animals within the framework of treating Earth as an MMO game. Here's their video on the question "Are humans OP?" Short answer is "yes", with item crafting and especially spears being part of the reason why. Although the video shows only thrown spears, which is a grave oversight as spears were not usually thrown. Although it correctly states that throwing is a major strength of humans, since our throwing ability far exceeds other animals. Humans can throw harder than gorillas despite the massive difference in strength and with far more accuracy too.


We really don't. 9 months gestation, and typically only one child at a time. Wolves breed far more quickly than we do (2 months gestation; litter of 4-6) and they're not even the fastest among mammals.
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Where humans win in breeding (and only very recently) is in the survival rate of offspring and lifespan, mainly as the result of knowledge and tool use. As you rightly say, it's not about breeding quickly. Humans breed relatively slowly. Not just because of the relatively long gestation period and the relatively small litter size that you refer to, but also because of the relatively slow maturation. Some mammals reach breeding age a year after being born. A couple of years is commonplace. Humans are barely capable of walking at that age and can't even survive unaided, let alone breed. No other mammals take ~20 years to fully mature to adulthood. Most other mammals are dead of old age before then. I think humans have the slowest maturation of any animal.
 
Angilion said:
I'm willing to bet it did. In a few tribes, killing a lion in single combat while armed only with a spear was a thing that happened and brought honour to the warrior who did so. The Masai, for example. Of course, trying that was often fatal to the human. It wouldn't have had a high status if it wasn't so dangerous. But it did happen.
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There's a huge difference between a spear and a pointy stick. There's also a huge difference between a Masai warrior in his prime, and a 60 year old Saan.

Tierzoo is an interesting channel that covers comparative biology of animals within the framework of treating Earth as an MMO game. Here's their video on the question "Are humans OP?" Short answer is "yes", with item crafting and especially spears being part of the reason why. Although the video shows only thrown spears, which is a grave oversight as spears were not usually thrown. Although it correctly states that throwing is a major strength of humans, since our throwing ability far exceeds other animals. Humans can throw harder than gorillas despite the massive difference in strength and with far more accuracy too.
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Our ability to throw is certainly a huge advantage. It's one of the skills that allowed us to out-perform Neanderthal Man.

Where humans win in breeding (and only very recently) is in the survival rate of offspring and lifespan, mainly as the result of knowledge and tool use.
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Agreed.
 
That seems less of an attack and more like I'll take one of your paint brushes if I like, and if you try and stop me I won't let go of your leg now give me ice cream.
 
Angilion said:
I'm willing to bet it did. In a few tribes, killing a lion in single combat while armed only with a spear was a thing that happened and brought honour to the warrior who did so. The Masai, for example. Of course, trying that was often fatal to the human. It wouldn't have had a high status if it wasn't so dangerous. But it did happen.

Tierzoo is an interesting channel that covers comparative biology of animals within the framework of treating Earth as an MMO game. Here's their video on the question "Are humans OP?" Short answer is "yes", with item crafting and especially spears being part of the reason why. Although the video shows only thrown spears, which is a grave oversight as spears were not usually thrown. Although it correctly states that throwing is a major strength of humans, since our throwing ability far exceeds other animals. Humans can throw harder than gorillas despite the massive difference in strength and with far more accuracy too.




Where humans win in breeding (and only very recently) is in the survival rate of offspring and lifespan, mainly as the result of knowledge and tool use. As you rightly say, it's not about breeding quickly. Humans breed relatively slowly. Not just because of the relatively long gestation period and the relatively small litter size that you refer to, but also because of the relatively slow maturation. Some mammals reach breeding age a year after being born. A couple of years is commonplace. Humans are barely capable of walking at that age and can't even survive unaided, let alone breed. No other mammals take ~20 years to fully mature to adulthood. Most other mammals are dead of old age before then. I think humans have the slowest maturation of any animal.
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That video was fantastic. Better say goodbye to me doing anything productive for the next week while I watch them all :p
 
Evangelion said:
There's a huge difference between a spear and a pointy stick.
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It's common to refer to a spear as a "pointy stick". It's a bit of a joke, but that's essentially what a spear is. A big stick with a point at one end. Of course it's more complex than that, but "pointy stick" isn't being suggested as a formal classification.

There's also a huge difference between a Masai warrior in his prime, and a 60 year old Saan.
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True, but IMO not enough to rule it out as impossible. A 60 year old with experience and training and in good physical shape would be very capable.
 
Screeeech said:
Interestingly, the Leopard is the top predator of Chimpanzees, they routinely kill and eat fully grown ones, Lions occasionally prey on Chimpanzees too.
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Leopards are stealth predators though they go in under cover and at night and chimpanzees can't see in the dark any more than we can. Even more interestingly leopards where apparently the main predator of early hominds too the reason australopithecine fossils from south africa survive at all was because they were leopard kills that were dragged into the trees by the cats as they do the skull fell to the ground rolled into sink holes into caves where they were preserved, usually with distinctive leopard teeth marks.

Its probably the reason humans have instinctive and irrational fears about entering dark places and kids are scared of the dark, for our ancestors there really were monsters lurking in the darkness.
 
sneakysnail said:
They need to take off and nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
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Only two creatures are thought to able to survive a direct nuclear strike: cockroaches and chimpanzees. It's true, I read it in GD. Apparently they derive their power from consuming the balls of their enemies.
 
FoxEye said:
Only two creatures are thought to able to survive a direct nuclear strike: cockroaches and chimpanzees. It's true, I read it in GD. Apparently they derive their power from consuming the balls of their enemies.
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I will let you in on a GD secret - humans can also survive a direct nuclear strike by sheltering under a plane on a treadmill.
 
Angilion said:
I will let you in on a GD secret - humans can also survive a direct nuclear strike by sheltering under a plane on a treadmill.
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What's a good brand of treadmill in terms of nuclear resistance?

Wait... is the plane on the treadmill or am I? Seems like a lot of effort anyhow. I'm fairly sure if you just close your eyes the blast can't hurt you.
 
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