Evolutionary biologist explains why humans do not hibernate
Updated
Updated · Forbes · May 8
Evolutionary biologist explains why humans do not hibernate
4 articles · Updated · Forbes · May 8
Citing 430,000-year-old Sima de los Huesos fossils in Spain, the report says early hominins may have shown hibernation-like bone lesions before the trait disappeared.
It argues humans lost hibernation because equatorial African environments reduced winter pressure, while the high energy demands of the human brain made deep torpor biologically risky.
The report adds that fire, shelter, clothing and food storage acted as technological substitutes, while studies of lemurs and other mammals suggest torpor mechanisms once existed in our broader lineage.
Did our ancestors trade the ability to hibernate for the high-energy brain that let them conquer the planet?
Could serum from hibernating bears unlock our lost ability to slow aging and heal from critical injuries?
From Rodents to Astronauts: The Race to Achieve Safe Human Torpor for Space and Medicine
Overview
Recent breakthroughs in inducing hibernation-like states in animals have advanced efforts to create safe, controlled torpor for humans, driven largely by the needs of long-duration space missions. Researchers have successfully lowered metabolism in rodents by targeting brain pathways, reducing food and oxygen requirements. However, humans lack the molecular and neuroprotective mechanisms necessary for natural hibernation, making direct replication dangerous. Instead, humans evolved cultural adaptations like fire, tailored clothing, and shelters to survive cold climates. While engineered torpor holds promise for space travel and medical uses, challenges such as radiation risks and ethical concerns remain before human trials can begin in the 2030s.