'Hobbit' tools found near remains

physorg.com ^ | October 17, 2005

[nickcarraway]

Researchers say they have found "Hobbit" tools on an Indonesian island near where the remains of nine ancient individuals were found.

The researchers have excavated more than 500 stone tools within several miles of the remains of Homo floresiensis, believed to have inhabited the site from an estimated 95,000 to 12,000 years ago, the BBC reported Friday.

"At Mata Menge there are hundreds and hundreds of in situ stone artifacts with Stegodon fossils," Mike Morwood, of the University of New England, director of the excavations, told the BBC News.

Last year, the announcement that a partial skeleton about three feet tall -- dubbed the Hobbit -- caused a sensation when it was discovered and scientists said it was a human species new to science.

[catmanblack.]

shouldn't they use height challenged person

[To Hell With Poverty]

GGG Ping?

[BIRDS]

Anyone with any familiarity with Indonesian peoples knows what a fully grown adult is on average there and they're about the size of a (some) Africans.

Another thing...touring domiciles of Celtic and Pics and such from ancient English Isles and the doorways are only as tall as about my chest. So, looks like us homo sapiens have been growing over the years, is my point.

[BIRDS]

Anyone with any familiarity with Indonesian peoples knows what a fully grown adult is on average there and they're about the size of an undernourished ten year old Northern European or (some) Africans of North American residence. (Dropped copy in first version, sorry.)

Another thing...touring domiciles of Celtic and Pics and such from ancient English Isles and the doorways are only as tall as about my chest. So, looks like us homo sapiens have been growing over the years, is my point.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks To Hell With Poverty. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to ping I go. ;')

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[dsc]

It used to be said that the restricted diet that came with agriculture caused a decline in size that is only now being reversed.

[Ramius]

Concerning hobbits... :-)

[Drammach]

Stegodon..

[BIRDS]

Probably still can be said, from the evidence.

~;-D

[dsc]

Rather a large beast for hobbits to bring down.

[dsc]

"Probably still can be said, from the evidence."

Okay. I didn't want to sound too positive, because I don't keep up with that in any systematic way.

[shuckmaster]

The earliest dates I've heard given for the earliest agriculture came about or soon after the dates given for the last of the hobbits (95kya to 12 kya). Also, the earliest dates known for the first modern humans coming out of Africa (80kya) is 15,000 years after the dates now given for the earliest of the hobbit culture. Based on the given dates and prior info about brain size, the hobbits were probably an offshoot of the Erectus who were on the nearby mainland prior to the early date but were gone by the later date. The date 12,000 ya is still extremely significant because we're looking at a non modern (unrelated) human much later than the last of the Neanderthals.
The next piece of the puzzle to look for is whether or not the hobbits remained the same size during the 95kya to 12 kya period. I'd also like to know more about how they concluded the 95kya date.

[Dustbunny]

Amazing how a theory can become fact because of the printed word.

[dsc]

Thanks for the info.

My remark about agriculture was in response to remarks about the Picts and Celts in note 5.

[JustDoItAlways]

The elephants they were hunting were also downsized (about 4 feet tall) as is common for species marooned on an island with limited food supply.

There are several arctic islands where whoolly mammoths survived for thousands of years after their continental cousins died out, by downsizing themselves (through selection) in just this way.

[dsc]

"by downsizing themselves (through selection) in just this way."

I did not know that. Did the eskimo hunt them?

[JustDoItAlways]

Seems the eskimo didn't hunt them.

They probably died out before the eskimo arrived in the area. One of the islands is north of Siberia as well.

[ovrtaxt]

If they find any gold rings....

probably not wise to put it on.

[dsc]

So the eskimo arrived after the ancestors of the Indians crossed the Bering land bridge, then.