skunkbear: In 2004, scientists discovered some ancient human-like bones on the Indonesian island of
skunkbear:In 2004, scientists discovered some ancient human-like bones on the Indonesian island of Flores. Analysis revealed that the adults were only three feet tall and their “proximal pedal phalanges are relatively long and robust.” In other words, they had huge feet. Much to the displeasure of the people who own the film rights to The Hobbit, they were quickly nicknamed “hobbits.”Controversy raged about whether these were a new species of homonid or just really small humans, perhaps effected by a thyroid condition. In the past decade, the evidence seemed to be stacking up that hobbits are a distinct species.Today, on the birthday of Frodo and Bilbo, why not read up on our real-life diminutive cousins and listen to interviews with the scientists who study them:How were the hobbits originally discovered?What was the controversy all about? How did hobbits get to be so small?Were they hunted by large birds?Image: A reconstruction of a H. floresiensis head on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, photo by Ryan Somma. -- source link
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