Headline News: We Have Hobbit Ancestors.... - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Child of the 7th Age · 10-27-2004, 05:28 PM

Sitting at home with the flu, I ran across this story, which gave me both a chuckle and a pause. It is from the folk at National Geographic.

Professor Tolkien got it right! According to the most recent scientific discovery, there are Hobbits in the homo sapiens family tree. These folk were given the nickname of "Hobbit" by the scientists who made the discovery: they describe the find as "one of the most spectacular discoveries in paleoanthropology in half a century. The Hobbits are cousins of ours, officially called Homo floresiensis . The scientists tell us that our three-foot cousins had heads about the size of a grapefruit and brains one-third the size of ours. They were native to Asia.

The scientists had a number of positive things to say about the Hobbit:

Quote:

"The hobbit was nobody's fool," Roberts said. "They survived alongside us [Homo sapiens] for at least 30,000 years, and we're not known for being very amiable eco-companions. And the hobbits were managing some extraordinary things—manufacturing sophisticated stone tools, hunting pygmy elephants, and crossing at least two water barriers to reach Flores from mainland Asia—with a brain only one-third the size of ours.

"Given that Homo floresiensis is the smallest human species ever discovered, they out-punch every known human intellectually, pound for pound."

So much for all you Elf fans who fail to give the Hobbits their due!

The species inhabited Flores as recently as 13,000 years ago, which means it would have lived at the same time as modern humans! So perhaps, in an age long ago, there was an ancient Aragorn who went on a quest with four Hobbit companions. We can always dream...

THE Ka · 10-27-2004, 06:23 PM

Hmm. i read national geo all the time. But, my lazy fat billyboy mail carrier always delivers them late... you know what i mean? Then sometimes, when it does come on time, it's not mine. so, then i have to give the mongurle someone's mail back, then wait a bloody week for my real mail. Ah. Cool that you found that.

For more hobbit brain tasties (Because i can guess, that like me, finding the mystery of hobbit relations is the meaning of life) Go to www.glyphweb.com/arda

Click on hobbits. Read ALL of it and you will come across the "Isle of Man" article. Well, it's more like a paragraph. But, it's intrigueing.

Estelyn Telcontar · 10-28-2004, 01:47 AM

After finding out that a thread about this discovery has already been posted on the Mirth forum (Existence of Hobbits Discovered) Child asked me to delete or merge this thread. I have decided to leave it as is; since the Mirth thread is exploring the comical possibilities of the topic (do read Kransha's post there - it's hilarious!), this thread can stay open for serious responses and additional information.

Eomer of the Rohirrim · 10-28-2004, 05:01 AM

I saw this and was interested, yes. Apparently the legends of the locals were not as outlandish as was once presumed. But are there any of the 'Hobbits' still hiding in the deep places? Is this going to spark a wide-scale exploration?

Rimbaud · 10-28-2004, 07:33 AM

I would hope not. The interesting point is that not only did modern humans evolve alongside other human species rather than from them, but that it is unclear that there are not sub-species extant in the population still. Neanderthals were wiped out by our evolutionary success, but there is a possibility I read mooted that relatives of homo erectus might still be hanging around.

If anyone's ever been to Croydon, they'll probably know what I'm talking about.

davem · 10-28-2004, 07:51 AM

In a Radio 4 programme on Tolkien - 'Fired by the Ring' - a couple of years back Brian Sibley interviewed Philip Pullman, who reacted to Sibley's suggestion that one reason for the popularity of LotR was that it wasn't set on another planet, but in the ancient past of this planet by laughing his usual mocking laugh, & replying 'I'll believe that when someone digs up a fossilised hobbit!'

Well, who's laughing now, Mr Pullman?

(I think that proves not only what a rubbish writer Pullman is, but also what a sad excuse for a human being he is too.

Not that I have any animus towards the Tolkien-hating, archaeologically-ignorant jerk.)

10-27-2004, 06:23 PM	#2
THE Ka Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: As with the flygja Posts: 1,403	COol... Hmm. i read national geo all the time. But, my lazy fat billyboy mail carrier always delivers them late... you know what i mean? Then sometimes, when it does come on time, it's not mine. so, then i have to give the mongurle someone's mail back, then wait a bloody week for my real mail. Ah. Cool that you found that. For more hobbit brain tasties (Because i can guess, that like me, finding the mystery of hobbit relations is the meaning of life) Go to www.glyphweb.com/arda Click on hobbits. Read ALL of it and you will come across the "Isle of Man" article. Well, it's more like a paragraph. But, it's intrigueing. __________________ Vinur, vinur skilur tú meg? Veitst tú ongan loyniveg? Hevur tú reikað líka sum eg, í endaleysu tokuni?

10-28-2004, 01:47 AM	#3
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	After finding out that a thread about this discovery has already been posted on the Mirth forum (Existence of Hobbits Discovered) Child asked me to delete or merge this thread. I have decided to leave it as is; since the Mirth thread is exploring the comical possibilities of the topic (do read Kransha's post there - it's hilarious!), this thread can stay open for serious responses and additional information. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

10-28-2004, 05:01 AM	#4
Eomer of the Rohirrim Auspicious Wraith Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 4,859	I saw this and was interested, yes. Apparently the legends of the locals were not as outlandish as was once presumed. But are there any of the 'Hobbits' still hiding in the deep places? Is this going to spark a wide-scale exploration? __________________ Los Ingobernables de Harlond

10-28-2004, 07:33 AM	#5
Rimbaud The Perilous Poet Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Heart of the matter Posts: 1,062	I would hope not. The interesting point is that not only did modern humans evolve alongside other human species rather than from them, but that it is unclear that there are not sub-species extant in the population still. Neanderthals were wiped out by our evolutionary success, but there is a possibility I read mooted that relatives of homo erectus might still be hanging around. If anyone's ever been to Croydon, they'll probably know what I'm talking about. __________________ And all the rest is literature

10-28-2004, 07:51 AM	#6
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	In a Radio 4 programme on Tolkien - 'Fired by the Ring' - a couple of years back Brian Sibley interviewed Philip Pullman, who reacted to Sibley's suggestion that one reason for the popularity of LotR was that it wasn't set on another planet, but in the ancient past of this planet by laughing his usual mocking laugh, & replying 'I'll believe that when someone digs up a fossilised hobbit!' Well, who's laughing now, Mr Pullman? (I think that proves not only what a rubbish writer Pullman is, but also what a sad excuse for a human being he is too. Not that I have any animus towards the Tolkien-hating, archaeologically-ignorant jerk.) __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."