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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 12/29/2008 : 03:15:45
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Coincedently, I'm watching the Lord of the Rings series on tape, which has nothing to do with anything beyond it's concerning hobbits. 'Hobbit' Fossils Represent A New Species, Concludes Anthropologist
University of Minnesota anthropology professor Kieran McNulty (along with colleague Karen Baab of Stony Brook University in New York) has made an important contribution toward solving one of the greatest paleoanthropological mysteries in recent history - that fossilized skeletons resembling a mythical "hobbit" creature represent an entirely new species in humanity's evolutionary chain.
Discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003, controversy has surrounded the fossilized hominid skeletons of the so-called "hobbit people," or Homo floresiensis ever since. Experts are still debating whether the 18,000-year-old remains merely belong to a diminutive population of modern-day humans (with one individual exhibiting "microcephaly," an abnormally small head) or represent a previously unrecognized branch in humanity's family tree. |
The evidence continues to pile up that this fossil really is something extraordinary and the "microcephaly" bleat heard from all corners of Biblical Apologia is worth no more than the wind it took to produce it. But we knew that from the git-go.
This becomes more fascinating with each study, and what a pity we can't take cheap politics out of the equasion. If indeed this creature represents a pocket population of H. erectus, it will not rewrite human evolutionary history, no. It will merely add another, brief chapter to the book; a rather inconclusive one. These little folk pretty much dropped out of our lineage when they became isolated. What would really be interesting to know is exactly how they came into that isolation. I look forward to more information.
And I guess we'll have to again monitor the Golem's place AiG. Indeed, the shuddering, hand-waving denial(s) from that quarter could inspire some excellent, low comedy from our Halfmooner.
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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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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2008 : 04:15:34 [Permalink]
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Actually, the "pinheads" turned out to be Homo answersingenesis, a pipsqueak race of hominids that took holy vows not to evolve -- and have steadfastly held to those vows.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 12/29/2008 : 05:19:42 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Actually, the "pinheads" turned out to be Homo answersingenesis, a pipsqueak race of hominids that took holy vows not to evolve -- and have steadfastly held to those vows.
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I knew you'd come through for us!  But 'mooner, are you sure it's Homo and not Pan?
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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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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2008 : 07:15:34 [Permalink]
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Indeed, many primatologists consider that even a Genus Pan classification is a somewhat conservative classification for this "kind." Observe the rather attractive Cercopithecus creatus (or Brazza's Blue Fundament Monkey):
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 01/01/2009 : 06:30:15 [Permalink]
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As expected, here it is. The Institute for Creation Research has come through for us.
"Small fossilized skeletons were discovered in 2003 on the Indonesian island of Flores. Resembling diminutive men, these “hobbits” (dubbed Homo floresiensis) were discovered among sophisticated tools. The remains were apparently not juveniles, but adults about three feet tall, with heads one third the size of an average modern man's. The hobbits have presented several mysteries, including questions over their origins and relationship to other species.
Based partly on the belief that creatures with such small brains could not have been smart enough to make tools, many scientists have theorized that these were Homo sapiens with microcephaly, a disease characterized by insufficient development of the head. However, this was refuted in 2007 based on certain brain size and shape characteristics that microcephalics have and Homo floresiensis does not.1
Now researchers have offered even more evidence that these were diminutive, not diseased, people. They compared three-dimensional digital models of theoretical skulls (based on projections of what the cranial shape and size should be for a specimen this small) with the Flores skulls and found that the microcephaly interpretation does not match the data.2"
Evidently, they found that no one was buying the microcephaly croaker, so now they're going with the diminutive, modern human hoo-hah. It kinda reminds me of the Neandertal-rickets foolishness; indeed, it's following exactly that same path.
For people with nothing better to do and no inclination to find something -- they do no genuine, scientific research and intend none -- they are showing a pitiful lack of imagination.
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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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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 07:24:43 [Permalink]
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So ICR's take is, basically, "Oh -- cute little humans! Nothing to see here, people, keep moving."
Very disappointing. That read almost as though written by sane people. I expected some fine lies and juggling acts. But ICR is trying to take a pass on this one, just breezing past and ignoring the obvious evolutionary implications of Homo floresiensis. Maybe Ken Ham will give us better?
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 01/01/2009 07:30:12 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 08:31:18 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
So ICR's take is, basically, "Oh -- cute little humans! Nothing to see here, people, keep moving."
Very disappointing. That read almost as though written by sane people. I expected some fine lies and juggling acts. But ICR is trying to take a pass on this one, just breezing past and ignoring the obvious evolutionary implications of Homo floresiensis. Maybe Ken Ham will give us better?
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Neandertal made them a little gun-shy, I think, the rickets blather having gotten them laughed out of the classroom. Their claim now is that he too, was just another, modern human, doubtless pre-Flood. Really. And now, evidently having nothing else, they are striving to fit the Hobbits into the Bible creation myth in the same way, and having about the same success as Dempski had at Dover.
I do hope that Cincinnati Hammy will show a little more creativity whilst spinning fantasia about it. ICR's offering was pretty dull.
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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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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 11:34:01 [Permalink]
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So, I finally looked at the link to the article. Seems that what we have here is a more primitive (in terms of human evolution) hominid species that was isolated, and with some luck, continued to survive. (We have seen that sort of thing in thousands of species, a few lasting millions of years and alive today.) Another dead end twig off the branch of the tree that didn't get selected out until relatively very recently.
If true, that's really exciting news. We know that there was overlap with other homo species, like Neanderthal. But Neanderthal was very close, if not, sapian. Personaly, I think neanderthal was sapian. But this "new" animal seems much less so.
Paleoanthropology works for me like a great mystery thriller with all its twists and turns. I just love it! |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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H. floresiensis is back in the news.
