I understood it was a consensus that the average body temperature was higher due to more common infections and lack of (access) to effective treatment.
Was this disproven or do we think something else was also at play?
There was a radiolab episode a while ago about this and how fungi are slowly getting more and more able to survive hotter temperatures, and how if the two trends continue, it could be a major problem as we don’t have a lot of medicine to combat fungal infection.
But they suggested in the piece that our lowering body temp has to do with humans getting used to cooked food. Our body temp was higher as a defense mechanism towards food borne illness, among other factors. But as we get more and more used to eating cooked food our bodies slowly adjust and operate at lower temps because it’s more efficient and we don’t have to use as much energy maintaining a higher temp
Nope, person you replied to had it right. It’s infectious diseases. We simply aren’t exposed to as many anymore, in large part due to food safety and clean water. Zoonotic exposure plays a part, but it’s usually temporary (mainly when there’s novel or limited exposure — think COVID bat model)
Isn’t it also likely that were not a diseases didn’t really exist as much until husband drove really took off and humans forced animals to live closely and in large groups
Early humans generally resided in warm/hot climates. We lost most of our body hair from our closest primate ancestors because it benefitted us for cooling our internal body temperature. If we required extra body heat to stay warm in the elements, we would not have lost our body hair.
What I was thinking we live inaide more. More clothes. We have more options for warming than the first of us. Kinda like since dentists became a thing human teeth are getting weaker.
Except that the global average human body temperatures are declining even in isolated tribes where there is little change in the diseases that affect them
Rain contains some bacteria, my hypothesis (for the isolated humans) is it's a sign that we've shrunk the entire biosphere all the way down to the microbes, if this is true. I can't find any good data on either point though, I'll have to make a note to look at it on my PC later.
When I work out hard my body temp will sit at ~98.7-99 for about 24 hours. If I don't do anything for a week it'll drift down to as low as 95.5-96 region which is wild to me.
Until the 19th century, everyone was infected by polio in their first year of birth, and their maternal antibodies kept it from killing them. Their bodies were being challenged early with many infections we don't have now. No wonder they were running hotter.
Hello fellow neanderthal. It's hard in these modern times. I run hot and can't deal with all the sensory stimulation of this modern world. Modern humans are so noisey and active. Reminds me the bees I used to collect honey from.
Anyway, I think we all need to form a colony or something. Someplace nice and cold. Spread the word to the others.
Yeah, body temperature is one of the oldest, most well documented biomarkers, going back to the early 1700’s when the mercury thermometer was invented by Fahrenheit. We have very good and reliable data showing the drop in body temp over time
ShapeShiftingCats | 22 hours ago
I understood it was a consensus that the average body temperature was higher due to more common infections and lack of (access) to effective treatment.
Was this disproven or do we think something else was also at play?
ok-est | 17 hours ago
Totally. This is how we stayed free of fungus and fought off disease.
pepperNlime4to0 | 3 hours ago
There was a radiolab episode a while ago about this and how fungi are slowly getting more and more able to survive hotter temperatures, and how if the two trends continue, it could be a major problem as we don’t have a lot of medicine to combat fungal infection.
But they suggested in the piece that our lowering body temp has to do with humans getting used to cooked food. Our body temp was higher as a defense mechanism towards food borne illness, among other factors. But as we get more and more used to eating cooked food our bodies slowly adjust and operate at lower temps because it’s more efficient and we don’t have to use as much energy maintaining a higher temp
ManasZankhana | 2 hours ago
Isn’t the main reason we don’t have many antifungal medicines due to the fact that they don’t really affect
_ECMO_ | a day ago
Typhus, Tuberculosis and other chronic diseases.
sweetica | 22 hours ago
Yes, I agree.
Ancient man did not have concept of germ theory and likely was always coming into contact with illnesses.
Plus there was no refrigeration and they drank raw water.
Finally, their close ties with animals they slaughtered likely increased zoonotic exposures to various illnesses.
OGSkywalker97 | 20 hours ago
Surely it's the fact that they spent way more time outdoors? So they needed to run hotter and also moved around more which keeps their body warm.
discodropper | 18 hours ago
Nope, person you replied to had it right. It’s infectious diseases. We simply aren’t exposed to as many anymore, in large part due to food safety and clean water. Zoonotic exposure plays a part, but it’s usually temporary (mainly when there’s novel or limited exposure — think COVID bat model)
ManasZankhana | 2 hours ago
Isn’t it also likely that were not a diseases didn’t really exist as much until husband drove really took off and humans forced animals to live closely and in large groups
HoldingThunder | 17 hours ago
Early humans generally resided in warm/hot climates. We lost most of our body hair from our closest primate ancestors because it benefitted us for cooling our internal body temperature. If we required extra body heat to stay warm in the elements, we would not have lost our body hair.
ErictheStone | 15 hours ago
What I was thinking we live inaide more. More clothes. We have more options for warming than the first of us. Kinda like since dentists became a thing human teeth are getting weaker.
TheQuestionMaster8 | 15 hours ago
Except that the global average human body temperatures are declining even in isolated tribes where there is little change in the diseases that affect them
_ECMO_ | 15 hours ago
Can you point me to some studies measuring the average body temperature of isolated tribes and comparing it with that tribe 200 years ago?
CountCrapula88 | 12 hours ago
I am also interested in that source
UntowardHatter | 13 hours ago
They are?
Fuck, that's not good.
We're all gonna die from fungi.
Lumegator | 12 hours ago
Rain contains some bacteria, my hypothesis (for the isolated humans) is it's a sign that we've shrunk the entire biosphere all the way down to the microbes, if this is true. I can't find any good data on either point though, I'll have to make a note to look at it on my PC later.
Nellasofdoriath | 21 hours ago
The problem comes when the oustside temperature starts to cross over with our interior temperature
https://radiolab.org/podcast/fungus-amungus
ok-est | 17 hours ago
This was such a good ep. I listened to it when it came out and still think about it often.
cityshepherd | 20 hours ago
TIL I am a recent ancestor.
2punornot2pun | 17 hours ago
When I work out hard my body temp will sit at ~98.7-99 for about 24 hours. If I don't do anything for a week it'll drift down to as low as 95.5-96 region which is wild to me.
I think we just moved more in the old days.
PaladinSara | 14 hours ago
Same - constantly hot and nauseous
Worth_Garbage_4471 | a day ago
Until the 19th century, everyone was infected by polio in their first year of birth, and their maternal antibodies kept it from killing them. Their bodies were being challenged early with many infections we don't have now. No wonder they were running hotter.
talltad | 21 hours ago
I’m basically a large Neanderthal and can confirm I run hot
BooBeeAttack | 19 hours ago
Hello fellow neanderthal. It's hard in these modern times. I run hot and can't deal with all the sensory stimulation of this modern world. Modern humans are so noisey and active. Reminds me the bees I used to collect honey from.
Anyway, I think we all need to form a colony or something. Someplace nice and cold. Spread the word to the others.
talltad | 10 hours ago
Colony sound nice. Fall weather still shorts and Tshirt weather yet everyone wear winter clothing.
CountCrapula88 | 12 hours ago
Ooga booga. Me hot also. Ouga bouga douga
EchoingAngel | 15 hours ago
It is I, the hot runner (sweating is just my normal state)
asertym | 20 hours ago
Isn't this an well known fact? Wdu mean "think"
discodropper | 18 hours ago
Yeah, body temperature is one of the oldest, most well documented biomarkers, going back to the early 1700’s when the mercury thermometer was invented by Fahrenheit. We have very good and reliable data showing the drop in body temp over time
QVRedit | 17 hours ago
Well, living in harsher conditions (like no central heating) and needing to do more physical exercise ?
MmmmCrayons12 | 20 hours ago
They didn't have air conditioning.
TwoFlower68 | 22 hours ago
Massively increased intake of poly unsaturated fats messing with mitochondrial function
bonerlonious | 19 hours ago
Ok ..