Alien from Earth

“Alien From Earth” is a documentary of a discovery that stumps archaeology and anthropology scientists.   Homo floresiensis, also known as the hobbit, was found on the island of Flores in Indonesia, but what seems to be so surprising is that it’s structure is very similar to modern day humans, except for the fact it is a third of our size. The hobbit causes controversy throughout the paleoanthropologist community, either arguing that the fossil represents a new species of hominin, or that the hobbit is a modern human with a genetic disease responsible for its abnormally small body and brain.
Homo floresiensis was only about one meter in height, and fully bipedal, with a very small brain size of 417cc. Tools have been found that has been used to make fire, and hunt pygmy elephants, Komodo dragons, and the giant rats that are found on Flores. The most complete fossil of the hobbit consists of an almost complete skull, and a partial skeleton consisting of leg bones, parts of the pelvis, hands and feet, and other fragments (Foley).
The remarkable discovery of the hobbit, I believe, is not a new species, but a genetically diseased modern human. We see little people in our society today, and it could just be, that back then, that they were little people as well. However, since it has been unsuccessful to receive DNA from the H. floresiensis, we might never know if it has been a genetic disease. That being said, since the DNA of the hobbit can not be recovered, and it stands as just a theory for now, I also believe that we probably just evolved from these hobbits, since it is not common for mammals on islands to be larger or smaller from what they modernly are.
According to the article accompanying the “Alien From Earth” video, Gigantism and Dwarfism on Islands by Peter Tyson, it states that:
“Island giants are aplenty: Komodo has its dragons. Madagascar has its giant hissing cockroach. Until about 1,000 years ago, New Zealand had its colossal bird, the moa. Of... [continues]

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