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Magazine article
Who would win in a fight between 100 men and 1 gorilla? An evolutionary expert weighs in
The Conversation
01/05/2025
Metrics
70 Record Views
Abstract
The internet’s latest absurd obsession is: who would win in a no-rules fight between 100 average human men and one adult male gorilla?
This hypothetical and strange question has taken over Reddit, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Some argue that humans once hunted mammoths so, clearly, we would win. Others point out that a silverback gorilla can lift close to 1,000kg and could throw a grown man like a rag doll.
To be honest, it’s not really a question we need to answer – and yet, as usual on the internet, everyone has an opinion.
But, beyond the jokes and memes, this silly debate provides an opportunity to reflect on human evolution. What are the real strengths of our species? What have we sacrificed? And what can a gorilla, our majestic, powerful and endangered distant cousin, teach us about our own nature and evolution?
Details
- Title
- Who would win in a fight between 100 men and 1 gorilla? An evolutionary expert weighs in
- Creators
- Renaud Joannes-Boyau - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- The Conversation
- Publisher
- The Conversation Media Group Ltd
- Grant note
- Renaud Joannes-Boyau receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Leakey Foundation, National Geographic, and the European Research Council.
- Identifiers
- 991013279210502368
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Magazine article