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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
 Posted - 10/27/2004 : 11:25:46
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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&u=/nm/20041027/sc_nm/science_hominid_dc_1&printer=1
Miniturizaton on remote island settings is a wonderful proof of evolution, now we have a mini-human too go with our elephants.
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"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
Edited by - BigPapaSmurf on 10/28/2004 13:03:02
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furshur
SFN Regular
USA
1536 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 12:47:08 [Permalink]
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| 3 feet high, with a chimpanze sized brain and they only lived 18,000 years ago. This is an astounding find! It sounds like their brain size is SMALLER than a Homo Erectus. This does not sound right.... |
If I knew then what I know now then I would know more now than I know. |
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 12:54:44 [Permalink]
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| Um why wouldnt brain size decrease with overall size? Evolution does not care what size your brain cavity is. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 13:11:03 [Permalink]
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What doesn't sound right is the title of this thread. I'm sure BigPapaSmurf meant to write "descendant" of Homo erectus, right?  |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 13:36:32 [Permalink]
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Very interesting indeed!
Here's a more complete article from NG.
quote:
Island Dwarfing
Researchers are also anxious to investigate how and why the hobbits came to be so small. When scientists discovered the hobbit fossil, they thought it was the skeleton of a child. There was no record of human adults that were that small. Modern pygmies are considerably taller at about 1.4 to 1.5 meters (4.6 to nearly 5 feet) tall.
"H. floresiensis presents an intriguing problem in evolutionary biology," Brown said.
The most likely explanation is that, over thousands of years, the species became smaller because environmental conditions favored smaller body size. Dwarfing of mammals on islands is a well-known process and seen worldwide. Islands frequently provide a limited food supply, few predators, and few species competing for the same environmental niche. Survival would depend on minimizing daily energy requirements.
But there is no absolute proof that this is what in fact happened with this small human.
"While there are stone tools dated as far back as 840,000 years ago, no fossils of large-bodied ancestors have ever been found" on Flores, Brown said. "There is some possibility [Homo floresiensis] arrived on the island small-bodied."
"I could not have predicted such a discovery in a million years," said Stringer, of London's Natural History Museum. "This find shows us how much we still have to learn about human evolution, particularly in Southeast Asia."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1027_041027_homo_floresiensis.html
I suspect that soon the fraud-howling, frantic denials and windy fantasies will eminate from AiG, et al. Especally AiG because Sarfati lives and blathers virtually right next door. 
It'll be fun to watch.
Belatedly edited to add the link.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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| Edited by - filthy on 10/27/2004 18:55:10 |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 15:09:19 [Permalink]
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Hobbits, huh?
Maybe Tolkien was right after all... ;o)
Which could mean that the JPG-picture of G.W Bush wearing "The Ring To Rule Them All" isn't a fraud after all. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 15:55:37 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
I suspect that soon the fraud-howling, frantic denials and windy fantasies will eminate from AiG, et al.
I can even predict by now what the response will be. "This is nothing more than a poor, bone-diseased little girl whom God put out of her misery with the Great Flood."
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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Starman
SFN Regular
Sweden
1613 Posts |
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tomk80
SFN Regular
Netherlands
1278 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 08:07:14 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by H. Humbert
I can even predict by now what the response will be. "This is nothing more than a poor, bone-diseased little girl whom God put out of her misery with the Great Flood."
I suspect we will be hearing claims of 'devolution' pretty soon. |
Tom
`Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, `if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.'
-Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Caroll- |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 08:23:42 [Permalink]
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It hasn't taken all that long. There are speculations floating around that if thius creature existed, why not Bigfoot? And so forth.
Unworthy of answering. :roll eyes:
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 09:57:34 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Hobbits, huh?
Maybe Tolkien was right after all... ;o)
Which could mean that the JPG-picture of G.W Bush wearing "The Ring To Rule Them All" isn't a fraud after all.
No that one is a fraud.
GWB is more like an Orokin and Darth Cheney with the one ring. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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furshur
SFN Regular
USA
1536 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 11:09:53 [Permalink]
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This story is about the most amazing thing I have ever heard of. This ranks up very close to finding that nessy is real. Homo Erectus has been extinct as far as we know for about 400,000 years. Finding what is essetially a pygmy Homo Erectus that lived only 18,000 years ago blows my mind. The off handed comment that the skull held a chimpanzee sized brain does mean that the brain size is comparable to a Homo Erectus assuming brain size and hieght are linear.
I would be very curious to see if the little fellows descended from actual Homo Erectus or if they descended from Homo Sapien Sapiens. The oldest confirmed skull is 70,000 years old wich is much younger than the first Homo Sapiens Sapiens which emerged ~120,000 years ago.
I am having a difficult time coming to grips with this information - my world has been officially rocked... but I like it!
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If I knew then what I know now then I would know more now than I know. |
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furshur
SFN Regular
USA
1536 Posts |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 12:29:13 [Permalink]
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My mind is blown too. But what amazes me that it was finally found at this late date.
I think that further research will demonstrate wonderfully what evolution will do in a pocket population. Numerous parallels are to be seen in other species alive today. That it is 'human' makes it all the better. I am looking forward to reports on the DNA studies.
The skull certainly looks like ergaster/erectus.
On the other hand, it might be a space alien....... :snicker:
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 13:07:36 [Permalink]
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| Actually I read in the Nature info that one of the skulls was 95,000 year old. That is well out of the sapien-sapiens timeline of 40,000 years. More likely of the 1.5million year African exodous. Most amazing to me is they found evidence that these were by far the most advanced of the Erectus, with advanced stone tools, fire use and evidence of spear hunting Komodo and Miniphants. Of course it will need to be confirmed by other sites on the island, but 7 skeletons ranging from 95k-13k years ago is amazing! Front page of the New York Times too, great article. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 13:26:15 [Permalink]
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filthy wrote:quote:
On the other hand, it might be a space alien....... :snicker:
Well, the bones were reportedly the consistency of mashed potatoes, and none of our bones are like that, are they....? |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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