October 27, 2004

Dwarf hominid lived in Indonesia just 18,000 years ago. A new human-like species - a dwarfed relative who lived just 18,000 years ago in the company of pygmy elephants and giant lizards - has been discovered in Indonesia.

Are all those fairy-tales about orcs and elves a garbled folk-memory?

posted by Goedel 20 years ago
  • Oops! I see I've been beaten to the punch. Please ignore this thread! [Hangs head in shame.]
  • How do we know that it wasn't a prehistoric midget? We do have them in our day & age.
  • thanks Goedel, I was gonna post about this but I am lazy... I think its quite interesting and a good reminder that what we know of paleoanthropology may be only the tip of a complex iceberg...
  • heh---I sure didnt notice that other post re this...must be that "wednesday afternoon senility" thing...
  • Didn't see the other post, either. But on topic, heard a bit about this on NPR this afternoon where they said that people on the island have myths about miniature humans who live in caves. The scientists got excited about his since it implies that this species may have been alive fairly recently and are going to explore caves on the island for remains. rolypolyman, the radio article said that their bone structure is different from midgets/dwarfs and pygmies. The scientists haven't published the details yet, evidently.
  • ...and they have bones from at least 7 different individuals, which is a lot of dwarfs to find in one place, unless you're Snow White...
  • unless you're Snow White... Do you wake up feeling dopey and grumpy?
  • Today I'm more sneezy. Hay-fever, Wretched Plague! When leacve abandon green We hie us to the medicine cabinet In search of antihistamine.
  • There is a spare C there for anyone who needs it.
  • Are all those fairy-tales about orcs and elves a garbled folk-memory? Some people say they're still around...
  • Bury that C in Linus Pauling's tomb.
  • Devas are still around, but ye often need to be alone, outdoors, in a spot barren of other people, to see 'em. They tend to come when folk are not looking for 'em.
  • An interesting follow up to this story.
  • Fascinating add-on, dng. That cave referenced in the article sounds like it would be something worth seeing.