Homo Homo FloresiensisFloresiensis

By: Emily RobsonBy: Emily Robson

•Homo floresiensis is the most recently found human species

• Was discovered on the Island of Flores located in Indonesia

• Is also known as Hobbit do to its small size

• Was discovered in 2003 by Thomas Sutikna

• Hobbits are believed to have lived just under 18 000 years ago

What is Homo What is Homo floresiensisfloresiensis

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Characteristics of the HobbitCharacteristics of the Hobbit• Approximate size was around 3 feet tall

• Estimated weight of around 55 pounds

• Short legs

• Long arms; with hands that fall below the knees

• The skull was much different then any other

human skull ever found

•Small brain of 400cc, around 1/3 smaller then

a modern day human

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Debate about a new speciesDebate about a new species

• As soon as news about Homo floresiensis came out numerous people had their doubts about the hobbit actually being a new species of human

• Instead they believed that it was just a member of an already existing species suffering from a growth retardation

• But the findings of a second skull settled the debate concluding that Homo floresiensis actually was a new species

How has the findings of Homo Floresiensis

effected us in the 21st century?

It changes our conclusion about It changes our conclusion about how humans have evolvedhow humans have evolved• Finding the Hobbit was a huge discovery because it disproved

some pre-existing theories about human evolution

• Researchers now have become clear that there is no main line in human evolution, disproving that Homo sapiens evolved from a long chain of human species that inherited characteristics from the species before it

• It is also believed that Homo sapiens and Homo floresiensis were alive at the same time for tens of thousands of years, disproving that Homo sapiens replaced all of the other species that were around the world at the time

It has given excitement and hope It has given excitement and hope for the future of evolutionfor the future of evolution

• Because of the recent findings of the Hobbit which was an unexpected branch of humanity that had lived so recently researchers have become excited about the future of evolution

• They have been reassured that there is so much more they can find that will give more information to them about the past and how human evolution has developed

• Also it has given researchers hope that there is more unidentified species still out there waiting to be discovered

• The findings of the Hobbit has quickly increased the search of different sites of other Southeast Asian islands, where researchers are looking for more about Hobbits so that they can come to more conclusions about evolution

Indicates that humans are also Indicates that humans are also subjected to evolutionary forces subjected to evolutionary forces

• Dwarfing is often the fate of larger mammals that are isolated on islands, and because of the lack of resources and room for them to survive over time through each generation the genes start to modify themselves to better off the animal

• Some scientists believe that Homo floresiensis evolved in the same way, starting from a population of Homo erectus

• The findings of the Hobbit was huge evidence for scientists that humans aren’t exempt from natural selection

In conclusion, the Hobbit was a significant discovery for the 21st century because it has helped researchers learn more

about the past and human evolution.

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Dalton, R. (2004, October 27). Little lady of Flores forces rethink of human evolution. Retrieved November 28, 2008, from http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=1340

Groves, C. (2008, March). Walking With Hobbits. Australasian Science, 29 (2), 16-18. Retrieved November 27, 2008, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc

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The people time forgot: Flores find. (2005, April). National Geographic. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from http://ngm.natonalgeographic.com/features/world/asia/georgia/flores-hominids-text