Great Bilbo's Bones!
...or alternatively, Concerning Hobbits.
Today's "Truth is Stranger than Fiction" story will probably be of interest to LOTR fans.
A 12,000 year old jawbone discovered in a cave in Indonesia adds to evidence suggesting the existence of a separate species of early humans. Most anthropologists believe that a diminutive hobbit-like species of humans lived on the island of Flores, apparently stranded there along with a whole host of miniaturized animals, including dwarf elephants. However, some scientists have proposed a different theory -- the specimens recovered are simply bones of modern humans who suffered from microencephaly (a broad genetic disorder that results in small brain size) or dwarfism. You can read the full story here.
I think the next time I want to make fun of someone for doing something dumb I'll have to ask them whether they suffer from microencephaly.
1 comment:
It would be much cooler if they found a race of Elves. Hobbits are cool and all, but they're small. I don't buy the whole small stature/big heart thing from the books and movies. I mean seriously, if a real Hobbit came up against a real Elf, the Elf would totally win. In fact, the Elf would be so fast the Hobbit would never even see him (or his arrow) coming.
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