To chase or to stalk? That is a question that has fueled dispute amongst anthropologists for decades.
For Trent University Professor of Anthropology Dr. Eugène Morin, the answer to the unsettled debate around prehistoric hunting practices became clearer through an exhaustive five-year, co-authored study that surveyed over 8,000 documents - a research feat of endurance.
Professor Morin's discoveries deepen our understanding of the adaptive strategies that enabled humans to be able to run long distances, while also challenging prevailing beliefs about Indigenous hunting practices - specifically the notion that running down prey was rare.
Given the contentious history of this topic, it is no surprise that the findings have captured global attention, earning coverage in prominent outlets like Smithsonian Magazine, Canadian Running Magazine, The Independent, Phys.org, Science Blog, Archeology Magazine, and New Scientist.
As noted by Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman in Science, "Nobody else has come up with any other explanation for why humans evolved to run long distances," praising Prof. Morin's research for its depth of scholarship.
The buzz around Prof. Morin's research resurged during the Paris Olympics with a feature in The Washington Post and mentions in numerous outlets including Global Health Newswire, Le Devoir, Earth, WA Today, The Brighter Side, List 23, Anthropology.net, and UC Davis.
Despite these achievements and lengthy exploration, Prof. Morin's investigation is not over.
"We are preparing a follow-up paper examining various aspects of endurance hunting including the role played by women in these hunts."
