Better Primates? Humans Evolved to be More Water Efficient Than Nearest Animal Kin

Scientists have found a new feature that distinguishes humans from other primates, such as chimps. According to the findings, humans consume 30 to 50 percent less water every day than our nearest animal kin.

Our brain capacity and ability to walk straight are unquestionably important, but the consistency with which the human body uses water is another significant difference

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Evolutionary Adaptation

According to the study's lead author, Herman Pontzer, associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, this trait arose as an evolutionary adaptation in ancient hunter-gatherers who had to travel further and further away from water sources in search of food.

"Even being able to live a little longer without water would have been a huge benefit as early humans began to make a living in dusty, savannah landscapes," Pontzer said.

Water levels must be recovered because our bodies continuously lose water by processes such as urination and sweating. The writers of the paper write, "To support life, humans and other terrestrial organisms must maintain a close balance of water gain and water loss each day."

Research Procedures

The researchers examined this period of water intake and loss in 309 people from various backgrounds for the sample. Farmers, hunter-gatherers, and office staff were linked to 72 primates scattered around zoos and sanctuaries.

The researchers measured how much water each participant in the study consumed, whether it was liquids or food. They also kept track of how much water was lost through urine, sweat, and the gastrointestinal tract. When all of the percentages were rounded up, it was discovered that the average person's body uses around 3 liters of water every day. That's about 12 cups of liquid. A chimp or a gorilla consumes half as much food.

Ability to Sweat

Humans sweat more than other apes, but the findings were unexpected. Humans have ten times as many sweat glands per square inch of skin as chimps, according to Pontzer. In a 30-minute workout, we will sweat out over a half gallon. According to the experts, we all have much more active lives than the zoo's primates, with most apes only traveling for a handful of hours per day. So, how come we use so much less water?

The researchers conclude the significant differences in water metabolism found in humans and other primates are due to evolutionary processes. To remain safe, our bodies had to adapt to requiring less water.

When Did Ancient People Manage to Adapt?

Scientists are now focusing their efforts on determining how this shift happened. According to the evidence, our sense of thirst differed from that of our ape kin. We just do not need too much water. Human breast milk, for example, has a 25% lower water-to-calorie ratio than ape milk.

Different Kind of Nose

It's quite true that the human nose plays a significant role in this. According to fossil evidence, with the arrival of Homo erectus around 1.6 million years ago, humans began to develop more protruding noses than their ancestral ancestors. Gorillas and chimps, on the other hand, have flatter noses.

What is it in our noses that we like? Humans prefer to exhale water vapor, the nasal passages cool and condense it, converting it back to liquid. This moisture collects inside the nose and is reabsorbed by the body. Essentially, having a jutting nose allowed ancient humans to hold the moisture in their lungs as they breathed.

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