Proposition de recherche en anglais-essai en anthropologie (document en anglais)

January 29th 2014

Anthropology 110

Research Paper Proposal 1

Isabelle Bourdon

Thesis: Despite its brain being smaller than one of a chimp, it was capable to hunt and to build quite sophisticated tools. “The Hobbit" is a human species distinct from Homo sapiens.

In 2003, found in a cave on an island of Flores, Indonesia was the skeleton of a tiny adult just over 3 feet tall. Homo Floresiensis, also known as “The Hobbit”, lived between 85,000 and 13,000 years ago.

There has been disagreement on whether “The Hobbit” is just a diseased modern human or if it has its own species. Scientists are now trying to figure out exactly how Homo floresiensis is related to other species in the genus Homo. My research brought me to think that “The Hobbit” is a human species distinct from Homo sapiens.

I will start this essay by comparing The Hobbit’s shoulder and wrists anatomy with the ones of earlier hominids, African apes, Neanderthal and of modern humans in order to understand the probability of it being a diseased modern human versus being its own species. Following this, will be why Homo Floresiensis had such a petite but un proportionate figure & for last but not least, I will explain the most recent discoveries about Homo Floresiensis.

The physical/biological anthropology is the branch who deals with human evolutionary, physical variation, and classification. Homo Floresiensis is the most recent species added in the human evolution.

Discovering Homo Floresiensis was a surprise for everyone. It was sudden, complicated but exciting! I find it very interesting. “The Hobbit” is the most recently added species; there is so much about it that we don’t know yet. I’m really interested in finding out more.

References

Anthropology.utoronto.ca. 2014. Physical or Biological — Anthropology. [online] Available at: http://anthropology.utoronto.ca/about/research/physical-or-biological [Accessed: 30 Jan 2014].

Humanorigins.si.edu. 2014. | The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program. [online] Available at: http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/multimedia/videos/hobbits-flores-indonesia [Accessed: 30 Jan 2014].

Humanorigins.si.edu. 2014. Homo floresiensis. [online] Available at: http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-floresiensis [Accessed: 30 Jan 2014].

Humanorigins.si.edu. 2014. Homo floresiensis. [online] Available at: http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-floresiensis [Accessed: 30 Jan 2014].

Marmelada, C. 2014. The debate around the status of the homo floresiensis. [online] Available at: http://www.unav.es/cryf/english/floresiensis.html#titre5 [Accessed: 30 Jan 2014].

Marxism, I. 2014. What makes us human? Questions raised by the discovery of Homo Floresiensis. [online] Available at: http://www.marxist.com/homo-floresiensis-dialectics071204.htm [Accessed: 30 Jan 2014].

Smithsonian. 2008. Were. [online] Available at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/were-hobbits-human-14768/ [Accessed: 30 Jan 2014].

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