New Study: Prehistoric Women Hunted like Men

The limestone cave painting, which was found on the island of Sulawesi, depicts hunters chasing wild animals. Reuters
The limestone cave painting, which was found on the island of Sulawesi, depicts hunters chasing wild animals. Reuters
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New Study: Prehistoric Women Hunted like Men

The limestone cave painting, which was found on the island of Sulawesi, depicts hunters chasing wild animals. Reuters
The limestone cave painting, which was found on the island of Sulawesi, depicts hunters chasing wild animals. Reuters

Historians and anthropologists believed for decades that prehistoric men were responsible for hunting, while women formed groups to collect preys. However, two recent studies found that not only did prehistoric women engage in the practice of hunting, but their female anatomy and biology would have made them better suited for it.

According to the Science Daily website, the two studies, which physiologically evaluated prehistoric women based on fossil remains, found that prehistoric females were quite capable of performing the arduous physical task of hunting prey and were likely able to hunt successfully "over prolonged periods of time."

The researchers found that the female body is better suited for endurance activity, "which would have been critical in early hunting because they would have had to run the animals down into exhaustion before actually going in for the kill."

Two huge contributors are the estrogen and adiponectin hormones, which are typically present in higher quantities in female bodies than in male, and play a critical role in enabling the female body to modulate glucose and fat, a function that is key in athletic performance.

Estrogen, in particular, plays a major role in fat metabolism, helps women going longer and can delay fatigue. Researchers added that with the typically wider hip structure of the female, women are able to rotate their hips, which lengthen their steps.

“The longer the steps they take, the less metabolically costly they are, the greater the distance they can travel, and the faster they can go,” they added.

"When you look at human physiology this way, you can think of women as the marathon runners versus men as the powerlifters," said Cara Ocoboc, co-author of the study from the University of Notre Dame.



Pamplona Holds Opening Bull Run during San Fermín Festival

Participants run ahead of bulls during the first "encierro" (bull-run) of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 7, 2025. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)
Participants run ahead of bulls during the first "encierro" (bull-run) of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 7, 2025. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)
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Pamplona Holds Opening Bull Run during San Fermín Festival

Participants run ahead of bulls during the first "encierro" (bull-run) of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 7, 2025. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)
Participants run ahead of bulls during the first "encierro" (bull-run) of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 7, 2025. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)

Thousands of daredevils ran, skidded and tumbled out of the way of six charging bulls at the opening run of the San Fermín festival Monday.

It was the first of nine morning runs during the famous celebrations held in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona.

The bulls pounded along the twisting cobblestone streets after being led by six steers. Up to 4,000 runners take part in each bull run, which takes place over 846 meters (2,775 feet) and can last three to four minutes.

Most runners wear the traditional garb of white trousers and shirt with red sash and neckerchief. The expert Spanish runners try to sprint just in front of the bull's horns for a few death-defying seconds while egging the animal on with a rolled newspaper.

Thousands of spectators watch from balconies and wooden barricades along the course. Millions more follow the visceral spectacle on live television.

Unofficial records say at least 15 people have died in the bull runs over the past century. The deadliest day on record was July 13, 1980, when four runners were killed by two bulls. The last death was in 2009.

The rest of each day is for eating, drinking, dancing and cultural entertainment, including bull fights where the animals that run in the morning are slain in the bull ring by professional matadors each afternoon.

The festival was made internationally famous by Ernest Hemingway’s classic 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises” about American bohemians wasting away in Europe.