Discuss what you believe Homo floresiensis to be – a “one off” freak version of Homo erectus, a separate and very unique species, or something else . . . Homo floresiensis was a hominoid discovered in a cave called Liang Bua on an Indonesia island. She was examined to be from 17,000 years ago and nicknamed “the Hobbit” because she was only around a meter tall even though she was an adult. What was more amazing about this hominoid was the small cranial capacity of 417 cc, much smaller than a typical early Homo and a lower body part that resembled an australopithecine. Despite the fact that she had a chimp-sized brain and small body, she used sophisticated flake tools made from hard pieces of stone chipped off a larger block and hunted animals. Through the examination of their habitat, scientists proposed that H. floresiensis was the descendant of a hominoid that left Africa earlier than did Homo erectus, thus making them different species but share a common ancestor.
I agree with this theory and believe H. floresiensis is indeed a unique and distinct species. There are several evidences supporting my opinion. Her femurs were 28 centimeters long and were equal to those of the smallest Homo habilis but shorter than those of the Australopithecus afarensis. She had very little forehead, distinctive brow ridges, and no chin. Peculiarly, her ratio of arm length to leg length was 85.4 in which was about the same as that of A. afarensis but outside of the range of the genus Homo. Furthermore, her small brain size did not imply that she was microcephalic, a neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to tiny head. In contrast to a microcephalic brain, her brain exhibited well development in areas of higher brain functions, such as frontal and temporal lobes.
The Essay on Evolution Of Species
I'm sitting down at a computer that has very vast capabilities. It is capable of almost any application, but it being only the size of my history textbook, leaves it fragile and vulnerable. With a few light slams, or the pass of a powerful magnet, it's very existence could be destroyed. Ancient times suggest not only survival of the fittest, but also survival of the smartest. Long ago the ...
This fact overthrows the hypothesis saying that her brain was too small to be capable of intelligent thinking and performing basic functions like learning and making tools. In addition, the mandibles of other H. floresiensis specimens also share unique features with the australopithecines and early Homo but not modern humans. Interestingly, she had relatively large feet compared to the feet of a human of comparable height. The lack of well-developed arch of her feet, curving of her hands, and sturdy femurs suggest that she was not fast on the ground but was probably good in the trees. The reduction of her brain and body size is due to limited resources on a small island, an evolutionary process known as island dwarfism. The idea is that they tend to become smaller because there are few resources available and no predators.
Bigger body size means an evolutionary disadvantage. Since the brain consumes 20 percent of the energy from the body, a smaller brain that focuses on specific functions is more efficient. Combining all of those evidences, it can be concluded that H. floresiensis is a separate and unique species because it had several distinctive traits that are absent in Homo, even though she lived long after every hominoid other than Homo sapiens had become extinct. Although H.floresiensis is not directly ancestral to human beings, the discovery of this species suggests that evolutionary forces are essential in human adaptation.
References
1. Steckley, J. (2011).
Introduction to Physical Anthropology. Don Mills, ON: Oxford.
