Today I Learned

[pinball1970]

Arctic huskies are durable, from a documentary I saw. I will try and find something concrete in terms of a citation

 

[Hornbein]

I'd love a citation.

It was something I read maybe 50 years ago. I think it was a biography of Geronimo.

 

[PeterDonis]

American Indians are SO much faster than cheetahs.

Cheetahs can't run fast for very long. The general strategy of hunter-gatherer humans when pursuing game animals was not to outrun them, but to follow them and wait for them to get tired. In other words, greater endurance, not greater speed.

I'd love a citation.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01876-x

 

[DaveC426913]

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01876-x

Thanks. Pity it's behind a paywall.

 

[phinds]

Cheetahs can't run fast for very long. The general strategy of hunter-gatherer humans when pursuing game animals was not to outrun them, but to follow them and wait for them to get tired. In other words, greater endurance, not greater speed.

Yes, and had he said "hunt them down" I would have agreed. He said "chase" them down. I take "chase" to imply running.

 

[PeterDonis]

I take "chase" to imply running.

"Chase" doesn't necessarily mean "outrun". I think "chase them down" is perfectly consistent with the endurance running strategy described in the paper I referenced (and which I have seen described in other books and articles). Part of the strategy is to keep the animal scared so the animal keeps running and wears itself out; "chase" can describe that.

 

[PeterDonis]

Pity it's behind a paywall.

Yes, unfortunately I couldn't find a preprint or open access copy.

 

[Hornbein]

For training some tribes would have a man jog fifty miles or so, then after another a few hours another man would set out to chase/track him down. Geronimo was smart so he'd skip the tracking and go direct to passes that the other man had to use and pick up the trail there.

Samuel Coleridge would walk thirty miles to get his mail. Today in Bali everyone has motorscooters so the young people are impressed if I walk a mile. They have never heard of such a thing.

 

[DaveC426913]

They have never heard of such a thing.

Called a "shanks pony", IIRC.

 

[jbriggs444]

Righhhtttt ... American Indians are SO much faster than cheetahs.

Winners never cheat. And cheetahs never win.

 

[collinsmark]

Winners never cheat. And cheetahs never win.

Oh, man. Where's that groan emoji we've been asking for.

 

[pinball1970]

Oh, man. Where's that groan emoji we've been asking for.

I think a @phinds wolf is required.

 

[phinds]

"Chase" doesn't necessarily mean "outrun". I think "chase them down" is perfectly consistent with the endurance running strategy described in the paper

No argument that that is a valid use, but it's just not the one I thought of right off.

 

[jbriggs444]

Oh, man. Where's that groan emoji we've been asking for.

I keep hoping for a dad badge.

 

[Tom.G]

American Indians used to chase down game like this, before they got horses.

I'd love a citation.

Thanks. Pity it's behind a paywall.

A bit of research found a page with links to much supporting information for the article. About 2/3 of the way down this page:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01876-x#auth-Eug_ne-Morin-Aff1-Aff2

Cheers,
Tom

p.s. The trick is to follow the link to the Author(s), where there is often much supporting documentation.