Since the dawn of mankind, they have been the masters of the earth, surpassing the dinosaurs to become the overlords of the earth. In the past two centuries, mankind's science and technology have advanced by leaps and bounds, realizing an unprecedented magnificent dream, not only breaking through the boundaries of "heaven and earth", but also successfully embarking on a space journey, opening up opportunities to explore a wider field of the universe. However, human beings have achieved this series of achievements not only by their dexterous hands, but also by innovative thinking and well-developed brains.
The greatness of human beings lies in their ability to think. However, the size of humans also shapes their status to a certain extent. For example, predators such as lions, cheetahs, and sharks have evolved to be close to perfection over a long period of time. Sharks possess sharp teeth and a strong bite force that makes them unrivaled in the ocean. Amazingly, sharks are the only creatures on the planet that don't suffer from disease or cancer. Carnivores such as cheetahs and lions are equally impressive, and as the top of the food chain, few creatures can match them except humans. The hunting skills of these predators are intimidating, and the prey can even escape at speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour.
However, the human situation is different. According to Darwin's theory of evolution, the ancestors of both humans and orangutans were apes. Anthropoids are early arboreal creatures that are omnivorous and live in trees without much of a threat. However, once they reach the surface, they have to face carnivores that are several times larger and ferocious than them. The saber-toothed tiger was once one of the threats to humans. When humans adapted to life in the grasslands, they had to fight the saber-toothed tigers. Historically, the fearsome saber-toothed tiger has devoured more than 370,000 people, almost leading to the extinction of the human race. Later, intelligent humans freed their forelimbs, learned to think more efficiently, and no longer blindly fought against the saber-toothed tiger, but used collectives and weapons to fend off this threat, allowing humanity to survive.
What if modern humans were reduced in size by a factor of 100? The supremacy of the planet could be threatened. Based on the average height of 1.7 meters and the average weight of more than 100 catties, the average height of human beings will shrink to about 37 centimeters, and the average weight will only be more than 1 catty. Humans will face more threats as they shrink in size, such as insects, which are more than 200 million times more numerous than humans, or rats. Even a single rainstorm can cause a large number of people to drown.
Among the many species of the planet, humans have been able to become the hegemon not only because of their intelligence and unity, but also because their size supports this status to a certain extent. So, while size may not be the only factor, it has played a key role in the evolution of humans.