Explanation:
For most folks, a thermometer reading around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) means their body temperature is normal. Now, two scientists have an idea why our bodies, as well as those of most other mammals, consistently run at that temperature : A toasty body temperature helps keep nasty fungal infections at bay.
"One of the mysteries about humans and other advanced mammals has been why they are so hot compared with other animals," said study co-author Arturo Casadevall, professor and chair of microbiology and immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva. "This study helps to explain why mammalian temperatures are all around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit."
Casdevall's previous work showed that the number of fungal species that can thrive and, therefore, infect an animal declines by 6 percent for every 1.8 degree F (1 C) rise in temperature. This, he claimed, is why reptiles , amphibians and other cold-blooded animals are susceptible to tens of thousands of fungal species, whereas only a few hundred types of fungi can harm humans and other mammals.
