New Study on Homo floresiensis

PhysOrg.com mentions that there is a new study out on Homo floresiensis. The new study takes an interesting approach: Using 3D modeling methods, McNulty and his fellow researchers compared the cranial features of this real-life “hobbit” to those of a simulated fossil human (of similar stature) to determine whether or not such a species was […]

The New Homo erectus Pelvis From Gona

As both Kambiz and Hawks have pointed out, a new Homo erectus pelvis has been discovered in Gona.

A Plea For Tomorrow: Reject Republicans and Their Message of Hate

Whether it be the national campaign run by McCain and Palin or local campaigns such as those run by Dole and Bachmann the Republicans have run some of the most vile, hate filled campaigns that I can remember. My plea for tomorrow is that they all lose so badly that the label “Republican” will be […]

Homo floresiensis: How Did This Dreck Get Published?

One of my readers (thanks Sabine) tracked the article down, so I have had a chance to read it. All I can say is “Wow!” There is certainly a lot of questionable material in it, to the point that I have to wonder how the paper made it through peer-review. Think I’m exaggerating? Here is […]

Homo floresiensis: The Argument Continues

According to Yahoo News a new paper is being published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B that will argue that Homo floresiensis was a member of Homo sapiens that suffered from severe iodine deficiency. According to Yahoo News the paper is authored by Charles Oxnard and Peter Obdendorf. I haven’t been able to find […]

The Island Rule and Homo floresiensis

I discussed this article earlier in the week based on what Yahoo News had to say. I have since been emailed the Biology Letters article and would like to go into a little more detail.

Tis a Puzzlement: More on Homo floresiensis

Like Carl Zimmer, I think I have come down with a case of Homo floresiensisitis. The more I hear about it the more puzzled I become. Let’s start at the beggining of my current befuddlement with the issue. Some of you may remember This post of Carl’s, about Gert van den Bergh’s theory that the […]

Homo floresiensis: More on Microcephaly

According to New Scientist a new study will be published in Science indicating that Homo floresiensis was a microcephalic member of a dwarved population (splitting the difference I guess). The study modelled dwarfism in a range of mammals: “As they dwarf, species’ brain sizes decline far more slowly than body size,” says Ann MacLarnon from […]

Bipedal Locomotion and Semicircular Canals: One from the Archives

An example of the creationist argument: High-resolution computed tomography, known as CT or Cat Scan, was used to scan the inner ear labyrinth of 53 humans, a few dozen apes consisting of pygmy chimps, chimps, gorillas, orangutans, and other species. They also scanned fossil humans (early Homo and H. erectus), Australopithecus and Paranthropus. Reporting in […]

Talk Like a Pirate Day is Tomorrow

And for those who lack the proper verbal skills or vocabulary here is a primer. And remember, the Code is more like guidelines than actual rules…