Hobbitses Were Real!

[Tuckerfan]

New tests make it unlikely the remains were of a victim of disease.

University of Minnesota anthropology professor Kieran McNulty (along with colleague Karen Baab of Stony Brook University in New York) has made an important contribution toward solving one of the greatest paleoanthropological mysteries in recent history – that fossilized skeletons resembling a mythical “hobbit” creature represent an entirely new species in humanity’s evolutionary chain.

Discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003, controversy has surrounded the fossilized hominid skeletons of the so-called “hobbit people,” or Homo floresiensis ever since. Experts are still debating whether the 18,000-year-old remains merely belong to a diminutive population of modern-day humans (with one individual exhibiting “microcephaly,” an abnormally small head) or represent a previously unrecognized branch in humanity’s family tree.

Using 3D modeling methods, McNulty and his fellow researchers compared the cranial features of this real-life “hobbit” to those of a simulated fossil human (of similar stature) to determine whether or not such a species was distinct from modern humans.

So far, efforts to find a ring, said to possess the ability to bend light, have yielded nothing. Further research by a Dr. I. M. Gollum hopes to, if not recover the ring, at least duplicate its abilities, are said to be ongoing.

[Quasimodem]

Hmmmm. Interesting that they mention they found remains, but according to the way I interpreted the article, they only examined the skull.

Hobbits have unsually large footses, and I think if they found the bones from one, it sure would narrow the gap of doubt, Tuck.

Quasi

[Laughing_Lagomorph]

@Tuckerfan

… Further research by a Dr. I. M. Gollum hopes to, if not recover the ring, at least duplicate its abilities, are said to be ongoing.

If he wants to find the ring he needs to look in the Hobbitses nasty little pocketses, he does.

[Sailboat]

Everybody knows Dr. Gollum won’t solve that riddle.

[GuanoLad]

@Tuckerfan

Further research by a Dr. I. M. Gollum hopes to, if not recover the ring, at least duplicate its abilities, are said to be ongoing.

I read that a Professor Elliot Smeagol says the Gollum guy can’t be trusted.

[MovingTarget]

See, I read the article, and was looking forward to some serious answers about this breakthrough. And you guys have go and make all your jokes. What’s WRONG with you guys? This could be HUGE ! ! !

FTR, I’m still laughing a little, took a bit to compose myself long enough to post this. Keep up the good work and all that.

[the_Lady]

I’m guessing this is just massive coincidence, but CBC Newsworld was running a Nature of Things documentary on the little Hobbit last night.
I was planning on googling for more info today - and I don’t even have to.
Ah, the Dope has everything.

[Phlosphr]

We’re not all caught up in our second breakfasts this morning, ya know. Some of us are in our holes, I’ll thank you kindly to lay off the size of our feetses. You probably shave yours too!

[What_Exit]

Thanks for the link. For some reason I have been following this story since it first broke pretty closely. This is good news.

BTW: The Professor would be happy with this line I believe. “resembling a mythical “hobbit” creature”. He set out to write a myth/legend for England and he would have liked seeing the Hobbit referred to as mythical instead of fictional.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

@Tuckerfan

New tests make it unlikely the remains were of a victim of disease.So far, efforts to find a ring, said to possess the ability to bend light, have yielded nothing. Further research by a Dr. I. M. Gollum hopes to, if not recover the ring, at least duplicate its abilities, are said to be ongoing.

The One Ring does not bend light. It moves any mortal wearer, and an immortal who wills it, into the Unseen Realm. This was covered on the FIRST DAY of Geek 1002.

[robardin]

@Skald_the_Rhymer

The One Ring does not bend light. It moves any mortal wearer, and an immortal who wills it, into the Unseen Realm.

Which is why Frodo could see the faces of the Ringwraiths when he put on the Ring on Weathertop, right?

But… The Ringwraiths are given form by their clothes, meaning only their bodies are in the Unseen Realm. Yet when Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, etc., don the Ring, they vanish, clothes and all.

Does the One Ring have an extra oomph to it that the Nine do not?

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

@robardin

Which is why Frodo could see the faces of the Ringwraiths when he put on the Ring on Weathertop, right?

But… The Ringwraiths are given form by their clothes, meaning only their bodies are in the Unseen Realm. Yet when Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, etc., don the Ring, they vanish, clothes and all.

Does the One Ring have an extra oomph to it that the Nine do not?

Rather than further hijack this thread with a forum-inappropriate topic, I’ve answered your question in this CS thread.

[What_Exit]

@robardin

Which is why Frodo could see the faces of the Ringwraiths when he put on the Ring on Weathertop, right?

But… The Ringwraiths are given form by their clothes, meaning only their bodies are in the Unseen Realm. Yet when Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, etc., don the Ring, they vanish, clothes and all.

Does the One Ring have an extra oomph to it that the Nine do not?

Well the nine Ringwraiths did not need their rings to be invisible. They were always invisible by the time of the war and for a long time before. Sauron had their rings collected up.

[Tuckerfan]

@Skald_the_Rhymer

The One Ring does not bend light. It moves any mortal wearer, and an immortal who wills it, into the Unseen Realm. This was covered on the FIRST DAY of Geek 1002.

Yes, well, I took that class some 30 odd years ago and never had the desire to repeat it for reasons superbly explained by Randall in the documentary Clerks 2.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

@Tuckerfan

Yes, well, I took that class some 30 odd years ago and never had the desire to repeat it for reasons superbly explained by Randall in the documentary Clerks 2.

Stop it with your filthy lies.

Geek 1002 was not even on the curriculum until 1982.

[What_Exit]

@Tuckerfan

Yes, well, I took that class some 30 odd years ago and never had the desire to repeat it for reasons superbly explained by Randall in the documentary Clerks 2.

I have studied that documentary numerous times as I am also a Kevin Smith fan and it is of course a local story. What you will note is that Randall is a bitter, sad Star Wars fan made the bitterer by the betrayal from Lucas himself of their fandom. While the pathetic kid in this documentary has his butt handed to him, it is because first and foremost they appear to actually be fans of some lesser work yet I believed known as transformers. Why anyone would take such a strong interest in such a basic and utilitarian electrical distribution device I am not capable of understanding.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

@What_Exit

I have studied that documentary numerous times as I am also a Kevin Smith fan and it is of course a local story. What you will note is that Randall is a bitter, sad Star Wars fan made the bitterer by the betrayal from Lucas himself of their fandom. While the pathetic kid in this documentary has his butt handed to him, it is because first and foremost they appear to actually be fans of some lesser work yet I believed known as transformers. Why anyone would take such a strong interest in such a basic and utilitarian electrical distribution device I am not capable of understanding.

:eek::mad::eek::mad::eek::mad:

I don’t understand why you think I’d allow you to mock Optimus Prime without repercussions. Stay where you are; if the velociraptors have to chase you down, things will be even worse.

[Scissorjack]

@robardin

But… The Ringwraiths are given form by their clothes, meaning only their bodies are in the Unseen Realm.

That’s cos they put their rings up their noses.

[Sampiro]

@Tuckerfan

[So far, efforts to find a ring, said to possess the ability to bend light, have yielded nothing.

Perhaps when they do the digs at [URL=“http://image53.webshots.com/153/3/65/33/2491365330028705209lzIJEU_ph.jpg”]Mt. Flores]('Hobbit' Fossils Represent A New Species, Concludes Anthropologist | ScienceDaily) (the extinct volcano on the exact same island) they’ll turn something up.

[What_Exit]

@Sampiro

Perhaps when they do the digs at Mt. Flores (the extinct volcano on the exact same island) they’ll turn something up.

I sure hope not. That ring is suppose to be good and gone via sacrificial Sméagol.