New Species found!

[8news]

In an astonishing discovery that could rewrite the history of human evolution, scientists say they have found the skeleton of a new human species, a dwarf, marooned for eons in a tropical Lost World while modern man rapidly colonised the rest of the planet.

The finding on a remote Indonesian island has stunned anthropologists like no other in recent memory. It is a fundamentally new creature that bears more of a resemblance to fictional, barefooted hobbits than modern humans.

Yet biologically speaking, it may have been closely related to us and perhaps even shared its caves with our ancestors.

The 3-foot-tall adult female skeleton found in a cave is believed 18,000 years old. It smashes the long-cherished scientific belief that our species, Homo sapiens, systematically crowded out other upright-walking human cousins beginning 160,000 years ago and that we've had Earth to ourselves for tens of thousands of years.

Instead, it suggests recent evolution was more complex than previously thought.

And it demonstrates that Africa, the acknowledged cradle of humanity, does not hold all the answers to persistent questions of how - and where - we came to be.



"This finding really does rewrite our knowledge of human evolution," said Chris Stringer, who directs human origins studies at the Natural History Museum in London. "And to have them present less than 20,000 years ago is frankly astonishing."

Scientists called the dwarf skeleton "the most extreme" figure to be included in the extended human family. Certainly, she is the shortest.

She is the best example of a trove of fragmented bones that account for as many as seven of these primitive individuals that lived on the equatorial island of Flores, located east of Java and northwest of Australia. The mostly intact female skeleton was found in September 2003.

Scientists have named the extinct species Homo floresiensis, or Flores Man, and details appear in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

The specimens' ages range from 95,000 to 12,000 years old, meaning they lived until the threshold of recorded human history and perhaps crossed paths with the ancestors of today's islanders.

Flores Man was hardly formidable. His grapefruit-sized brain was two-thirds smaller than ours, and closer to the brains of today's chimpanzees and transitional prehuman species in Africa than vanished 2 million years ago.

Yet Flores Man made stone tools, lit fires and organised group hunts for meat. Bones of fish, birds and rodents found near the skeleton were charred, suggesting they were cooked.

All this suggests Flores Man lived communally and communicated effectively, perhaps even verbally.

"It is arguably the most significant discovery concerning our own genus in my lifetime," said anthropologist Bernard Wood of George Washington University, who reviewed the research independently.

A spokesperson for Australian Motorsport was not surprised by the discovery. "We have been aware of this species for quite sometime. With their long arms dragging in the dirt, dark dirty bodies and very small brain, they are known in Australia as Holden Supporters. They gather often on Sundays where they drink, urinate and make complete fools of themselves" said the spokesperson.

[Bimmerhead]

[twig]

Boy, how many cheap shots are you going to take?

[Sandgroper]

Originally posted by twig
Boy, how many cheap shots are you going to take?

Yeah becomming rather painfull along with many others here.
You sure old member Dave hasnt changed to the blue side and come back as 8news !!!!

[Harves]

Surely a little humour is ok, I have red blood following through my veins and I thought that was a bit of a cack.

Lighten up lifes way toooooo short!

[Monaro427]

It wasn't funny in the other forum (which took the initiative to delete the post) and it's not funny here. I guess I could say something about your ancestors being Holden supports, but I won't.

[Harves]

That, Monaro is a very serious second post.

[Monaro427]

Well, I am a serious person.. I am still working my way up to 28...

[pete55]

Funny thing is Monaro on another forum tried to be funny with a reply to a post and didn't even remotely suceed.

[deeks6]

Very true, however we did grab one of them and now he drives an Orrcon Ford!

[Monaro427]

No, I wouldn't expect that you'd find something that's against a Ford fan funny. Not with your intelligent insight of taking Rick's license away for the incident at Indy. I obviously can't compete with that level of intelligence.

[pete55]

You're right, you obviously can't compete.

[8news]

Originally posted by pete55
You're right, you obviously can't compete.

...and hopefully soon, neither will CrashBandicoot.

[Gaz170]

8news, where the hell did you come from? You're a master of sarcasm, and I say that in a positive way.

[Just Do It!]

That was a effort and I think you deserve a huge reward!

Well done!!

[malarky]

That's pretty funny.

It must have been rather tricky to roll all that together.

Top marks.

Us poor old knuckle dragging Holden fans....

[Aarrgh8]

A lot of typing for something with such a weak finish. You could change the 'punch line' (using the term as loosely as possible) and it still isn't funny.

Sorry. Forget writing comedy - if that is what it was.

You've done conrod and 10-tenths. Try V8Central. There's a lot of easily amused kids there. I still don't like your chances. Did you ever watch 'Good Morning Vietnam'? There was a line there: "You're not funny. Ask around."

[mtpanorama]

Its always "tricky" trying to be funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[laser]

Originally posted by Monaro427
It wasn't funny in the other forum (which took the initiative to delete the post) and it's not funny here. I guess I could say something about your ancestors being Holden supports, but I won't.

If you're talking about V8Central then we didn't delete it was moved to a more appropiate place.

[laser]

Originally posted by Aarrgh8

You've done conrod and 10-tenths. Try V8Central. There's a lot of easily amused kids there.

Well, we may not have been on the planet since '53, but I wouldn't say kids either.

[8news]

Originally posted by malarky
That's pretty funny.

It must have been rather tricky to roll all that together.

Top marks.

Us poor old knuckle dragging Holden fans....

Thanks Dave. Back to your AA meeting now Good to see Skaife have another good weekend
1.My thottle jammed
2.My brakes failed
3.I f..... up, again

[Kerri]

PMP
You guys are funny.

But some are worse than a bunch of Bit**y women.
Can't you take a joke

[Just Do It!]

Well put Kerri. Why is it that we as a society can't laugh at ourselves?

I would have taken it well regardless of the fan loyalty it was poking fun at.

Mind you, we Kiwis can largely laugh at ourselves.

[Panzer]

Well I think it doesn't matter weather your Red or Blue, I found it funny and interesting to.

[jason7250]

Ah yes 8news but some one must of bred with that new species to begin it where were you
From a red blood good post.