Posts Tagged Flores
Heeteren, van, A.H. 2008. Homo floresiensis as an island form. – PalArch’s Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 5, 2: 1-12
Posted by PalArch Editor (IN) in PalArch's Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology on July 1st, 2008
Abstract Homo floresiensis is a small bodied hominin from the Indonesian island Flores. The type specimen, LB1, is believed to be a female of approximately 1 m or a bit more than 3 feet in length with a cranial capacity of around 400 cc. There is still no agreement on the cause of the small stature and small cranial capacity of LB1 and the associated individuals.
Homo floresiensis displays several island adaptations, which also have been observed among the members of other typical island faunas, indicating that Homo floresiensis might very well have been an endemic island form. Homo floresiensis has morphology similar to that of a Homo erectus juvenile, since it has a high orbital, dental and brachial index, low humeral torsion, low tibial torsion and a high gonial angle. Additionally Homo floresiensis has shortened lower limbs. The features displayed by Homo floresiensis give an indication of the manner of dwarfing by paedomorphosis, which was by truncating growth through increase in the rate of skeletal ossification, possibly caused by hormonal changes.
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Plas, van der, M. 2007. A new model for the evolution of Homo sapiens from the Wallacean islands. – PalArch’s Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 1, 1: 1-121
Posted by PalArch Editor (IN) in PalArch's Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology on January 1st, 2007
Abstract Paul Storm (1995) investigated the pattern of evolution of modern man in Southeast Asia. He discovered that the populations of Southeast Asia could be subdivided in two types, the Sunda-type and the Sahul-type, on the basis of skull morphology. In his investigation he included two skulls from Flores. Flores is an island located in Wallacea between the Sunda and Sahul shelves. It has always been surrounded by water, even during periods of low sea level. The two skulls from Flores did not clearly resemble either the Sunda or Sahul skull type. Since Storm was most interested in the Wajak skulls from Java (Storm, 1995), he did not pursue the problem of the Flores skulls further.
In the present study, the role of these two skulls in the evolution of modern man in Southeast Asia is investigated. To this end, twelve prehistoric individuals (including the two skulls and their postcranial remains) from five caves and one open site have been described. Comparison with prehistoric and recent remains from the surrounding areas have led to a new model for the evolution of Homo sapiens from the Wallacean islands. This model assumes a separate line of evolution for the populations of Wallacea.
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