[a_conservative]

I think we are saying the same thing- we can shed way more heat than just about any other land mammal. This results in more endurance, because other animals have to take a break to cool down. I imagine that cunning and endurance would go a long way towards a primitive hunter catching their dinner.

Interestingly, dogs and probably other animals have evolved strategies to keep the brain cooler than the rest of the body. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/836587/

Now I'm thinking about other animals that travel long distances. Butterflies and birds sometimes travel ridiculous distances. Do they have to deal with heat dissipation issues? Maybe having smaller brains help here, since cooking the brain seems to be the main issue.

from https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=217044

> The team discovered that the insects use their wings to sense the direction and intensity of sunlight—the main source of warmth or overheating—and to respond with specialized behaviors to prevent overheating or overcooling of their wings. For example, all species studied exhibited a relatively constant “trigger” temperature of approximately 40oC (104oF), turning within a few seconds to avoid overheating of wings from a small light spot shone upon them.

Nature is mind-blowing!