Another Good Anthropology Question for You?

Question

The Homo floresiensis bones were found on the island of Flores. The islanders still believe they are still alive stealing things. Do you think they are still in extistants?

Answer 1

There are stories from Marco Polo that describe small hair humanoids on Indonesia.  There are stories to this day of Orang Pendak on Sumatra.  These are thought to be very similar to H. Floresiensis in discription from the large feet, muscular build, big stomach and size.  I have studied this sort of thing for many decades and when I first heard about H. floresiensis, I was sure that scientists would put it together.  Instead, mostly they still insisted that Orang Pendak, if alive, must be some type of upright Orangutang.  It has been somewhat frustrating to me because it is so obvious that it is H. floresiensis yet there are very few that agree with that  except my brother and I guess you as well. The Ebu gogo (or something similar) from Flores is extremely similar to Orang Pendak in discription and to suggest that they are not the same strains credulity.  One common theme in Orang Pendak sightings is its willingness to go into the water and disappear.  This swimming ability probably would not confine it to islands as some have theorized but their theories are based on ignorance of the history of reports of similar hominids in the area in my opinion.

Answer 2

http://dineropopular.blogspot.com/

Answer 3

Autumn, please explain as I am not an anthropolgy student. I can barely spell the word, but I find it interesting.

What is a Homo Floresiensis? (another big word!) Is it really a hobbit like creature?

I still think Neanderthals roam the earth. The features on some people are so plain to see....am I right?

Answer 4

Seems unlikely to me.

(These are the so-called "Hobbits" right?)

There'd be evidence they were still around, if they were.

Answer 5

There is a brand new article indicating floresiences was not a modern human.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7004...

It is highly arrogant, but typical, of anthropologists to suggest that Ebu Gogo were just a myth in light of the new fossil evidence.  

"The people of Flores believe that the Ebu Gogo were alive at the time of the arrival of Portuguese trading ships over 400 years ago, and some hold that they survived as recently as 100 years ago but are now no longer seen."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebu_Gogo

They could still be alive but as JimZ says, it would be more likely they are on other islands and represent sightings of Orang Pendek and perhaps others as well.  The descriptions of the two are nearly identical.

I still doubt that something with a brain the size of a chimps is  going to be hunting pygmy elephants with spears on an island that has modern humans.  The modern humans wouldn't tolerate it.  It is more likely to be a "primitive" like Orang Pendek is reported to be.  Once again it comes down to the arrogance of paleontologists to think that an ancient erectus like Georgicus couldn't evolve into something like an Ebu Gogo

"These "little people" are said to be about one meter tall, covered in hair, pot-bellied and with ears that stick out. They are held to walk somewhat awkwardly and are often said to be "murmuring" in what is assumed to be their own language."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebu_Gogo

""The [Hobbit] wrist doesn't show the same specialization for tool behaviour as modern man or Neanderthals," Matthew Tocheri told the AFP news agency. "It retains the same primitive morphology as ancient hominids."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7004...

It sounds like it was a very "primitive" and thus a non-technological hominid that would fit the description of Orang Pendek.

Answer 6

Nah those little guys are extinct. If they were stealing so much stuff where have they been keeping all their loot? It's just a myth among the natives to explain when they loose s/t. My friend thinks whenever s/t falls over a ghost pushed it. Same thing.

Answer 7

Unlikely.  you have to remember that when you get your information from wikipedia, ANYBODY is allowed to edit that.  which means that if my 10 year old nephew wants to edit something about an evolution section in wikipedia, he can....it's not hard facts like in encyclopedia britannica.