Hobbits - a new species?

On the island of Flores, Indonesia, was the discovery location of fossils of adult humans just 3 feet tall, with a cranial capacity of 380 cubic centimeters. Homo floresiensis is their scientific name. Since these fossils have been found, it has caused great controversy over whether or not these 'humans' were either a new human species or were dwarfs or pigmies possibly suffering from microcephaly, having abnormally small bodies and brains. These fossils date back anywhere between 12,000 to 95,000 years old. A recent study, led by Dean Falk (Florida State University), concluded that the hobbit's brain doesn't resemble microcephalics, and instead resembles a normal human brain, therefore they concluded that the hobbits do represent a new human species. Other scientists insist upon critisizing this study by mentioning the fact that the hobbit brain has other abnormalities, that the sample was too small, and that there should have been more brains to sample. The scientists that believe these hobbits are indeed a 'new human species' are basing this on an evolution theory. This theory is that these human species became seperated by a barrier impossible for either population to cross. These populations experience different mutations and will have different selection pressures over many tens of thousands of years, the time will come when they will be different enough so that they would not be able to interbreed even if they were placed together. Genetic isolation because of geographic isolation is one way evolutionists believe that new species are created. Some previous studies mentioned that the hobbits were humans, but with extreme brain deformities. Falk continues to explain that since the hobbits are small in both body and brain, they must be a new human species. Being isolated from humans on the Indonesian islands resulted in them evolving into this new species. It is clear that Falk and her team, based upon the theory of how new species are created, are 'creating' this new human species. Even if evolution were true, the island of Flores is too small to have maintained an isolated population for long enough to allow the evolution of a new species, say researchers at Pennsylvania State University.

The Bible does not use the word “species.” It is a word in the scientific vocabulary that does not sufficiently describe life as God created it. The word “species” has a very dissimilar meaning from the Genesis word “kind.” Regarding humans, God created one man, Adam. From Adam, God created Eve. From this pair, all humans have originated—mankind or humankind.

The fact that Falk and her team, using a humanistic philosophy, call the hobbits “another species of Homo” is meaningless. Evolutionists cannot prove that the hobbits were unable to reproduce with Homo sapiens, and interfertility is the basis for true biological relationships according to the Bible. God made only one kind of human.

I find this study to be very intriguing, and interesting. It seems that there is always a new discovery of evolution. It really makes us humans think about our true ancestors when we hear about such findings. And it also brings up the question as to what kinds of people roamed our earth thousands of years ago.


Sources:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2007/0214hobbits.asp

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/blog.html#flores7