Lecture 16.5 - H. floresiensis

Question 1

H. florensiensis

H. florensiensis general info

Answer 1

• c. 700-60 Ka
• two sites in Flores, Indonesia
• ‘The Hobbit’

Question 2

H. florensiensis

Flores geography, how did they get there

Answer 2

• deep water separates Flores from Sunda shelf
• debated whether there would have been a land bridge at all (if so, short lived)

Question 3

Java sites

site of Liang Bua

Answer 3

• excavated since 2003
• cave site

Question 4

Java sites

site of Mata Menge

Answer 4

• excavated 50 years ago
• nothing but artifacts found until 2014
• pushes back origin to 700 Ka

Question 5

Java sites

artiacts found at Java sites

Answer 5

• simple flake stone tools (similar to Oldowan)
• evidence of fire

Question 6

H. florensiensis anatomy

who was LB1 -‘Flo’? what evidence was found

Answer 6

• adult female
• near-complete skeleton
• ~25 kg & 1 meter (3ft)

Question 7

H. florensiensis anatomy

general anatomy & comparisons to other hominin species

Answer 7

• small = Aus.-like
• relatively little prognathism = early Homo
• derived, small teeth = later Homo
• height = Aus or H.habilis-like
• limb anatomy = unique

Question 8

H. florensiensis anatomy

limb anatomy traits

Answer 8

• short lower lumb
• long. flat feet (no longitudinal arch)
• long, curved toes

Question 9

evolutionary scenaries for H. floresiensis

evidence for and against the “pathological H. sapiens” theory

Answer 9

for:
* recent time period

against: microencephaly?
* does not display traits associated with microencephaly outside of small brain size
* does not explain height and strange feet
* unlikely to be widespread in many individuals in population

WRONG

Question 10

evolutionary scenaries for H. floresiensis

Dwarfed H. erectus theory evidence

Answer 10

for:
* H. erectus found in Java
* perhaps late surviving H. erectus ?
* small size = insular dwarfism

MAYBE?

Question 11

evolutionary scenaries for H. floresiensis

what is insular dwarfism?

Answer 11

reduction in size of large animals when they get isolated in small habitats (liek islands
- in absense of predators, being small is a selective advantage because less resources are needed

Question 12

evolutionary scenaries for H. floresiensis

‘early hominins out of africa’ theory evidence

Answer 12

for:
* primitive features like small body size and brain size

against: did H. habilis leave Africa?
* needed a boat
* teeth are still closer to later Homo

MAYBE