Lb1 Research Paper
In 2004 a group of scientists found the partial skeleton of a new human species we had never seen before. Researchers called the remains LB1, also nicknamed the hobbit due to its small size. It was first believed that this new species, Homo floresiensis, was a descendent of Homo erectus that had simply dwarfed over time due to limited access to resources. However, newer studies have highlighted some of the more primitive characteristics of LB1, which lead scientists to believe that the hobbits branched off from the human family tree much earlier than previously thought.
Summary:
Scientists were excavating a cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, when they stumbled upon the remains of a small human species. The skeleton they found called …show more content…
This caused many skeptics to believe that this “hobbit” was an isolated incident of a modern human with some type of disease that stunted their growth. However, as more studies were completed, LB1 began to look more and more like other primitive, pre-erectus species. For example, LB1 had large feet, long, curved toes, and no arch. These type of feet would not be conducive to running long distances, and they would have to walk differently to keep their feet from dragging on the ground. LB1 also has a very small brain, similar in size to a chimpanzee. However, although LB1’s brain was extremely small, it still had some advanced features that allowed them to make stone tools and create fire. Other bones in the body, such as the wrist, pelvis, and clavicle, also appear more primitive than Homo erectus. However, many of the cranial features would make it appear that LB1 is a member of our genus. Due to the interesting mixture of characteristics, researchers have started to consider that the hobbit may actually have been a more primitive species, rather than one that evolved after Homo erectus. In the Journal of Human Evolution, Debbie Argue and her research team proposed two possible points in time at which the hobbit branched off from the rest of the hominins.
Summary:
Scientists were excavating a cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, when they stumbled upon the remains of a small human species. The skeleton they found called …show more content…
This caused many skeptics to believe that this “hobbit” was an isolated incident of a modern human with some type of disease that stunted their growth. However, as more studies were completed, LB1 began to look more and more like other primitive, pre-erectus species. For example, LB1 had large feet, long, curved toes, and no arch. These type of feet would not be conducive to running long distances, and they would have to walk differently to keep their feet from dragging on the ground. LB1 also has a very small brain, similar in size to a chimpanzee. However, although LB1’s brain was extremely small, it still had some advanced features that allowed them to make stone tools and create fire. Other bones in the body, such as the wrist, pelvis, and clavicle, also appear more primitive than Homo erectus. However, many of the cranial features would make it appear that LB1 is a member of our genus. Due to the interesting mixture of characteristics, researchers have started to consider that the hobbit may actually have been a more primitive species, rather than one that evolved after Homo erectus. In the Journal of Human Evolution, Debbie Argue and her research team proposed two possible points in time at which the hobbit branched off from the rest of the hominins.