[ImaGraftedBranch]

I wonder what these people would think if they found skeletons of Andre the Giant (a head three times the size of a normal man, weighs over 400 pounds, with hands so large that they encompass an entire beer can), Shaquille O'Neal (7'+), and Warwick Davis (Willow movie Dwarf) all from the same carbon dating period.

Would these scientists describe three DIFFERENT species? Of course they would! And it would ALSO be ridiculous.

[Coyoteman]

I wonder what these people would think if they found skeletons of Andre the Giant (a head three times the size of a normal man, weighs over 400 pounds, with hands so large that they encompass an entire beer can), Shaquille O'Neal (7'+), and Warwick Davis (Willow movie Dwarf) all from the same carbon dating period.

Would these scientists describe three DIFFERENT species? Of course they would! And it would ALSO be ridiculous.

With skeletal material scientists tend to look at morphology, rather than size. Little things, like dental morphology, can tell you a lot. The position of the foramen magnum can provide good information on posture and locomotion.

Really, there is a lot of science involved in this. (I do skeletal analysis as part of my work as an archaeologist.)

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"Would these scientists describe three DIFFERENT species?"

No.

"all from the same carbon dating period."

Carbon dating wasn't used here.

[jennyp]

Would these scientists describe three DIFFERENT species? Of course they would! And it would ALSO be ridiculous.

In addition to what Coyoteman said, we also know from direct observation that Andre the Giant, Shaq, and Warwick Davis are all outliers within the contemporary human population. So for archaeologists to find only those three people and none of the vast majority of humans that are much more representative samples of H. sapiens would be very, very unlikely.

Which means your scenario is a fine example of creationist argument. >:-)

[b_sharp]

"Would these scientists describe three DIFFERENT species? Of course they would! And it would ALSO be ridiculous."

Probably not. You see, determination is based on quite a number of different attributes of the skulls. Just because you would find it impossible to recognize their placement in the series does not mean that scientists would.

[muir_redwoods]

Certainly competent scientists could find indications of Andre's giantism and Davis' dwarfism. O'Neal would be recognized as large but not pathological and within the wide range of normal.

See, that's why one has to go to school to be a scientist. Armchair observations are just that.