Comments on: Kate Wong on the Hobbit Trail http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/03/22/kate-wong-on-the-hobbit-trail/ A blog about life, past and future. Written by DISCOVER contributing editor and columnist Carl Zimmer. Sat, 26 May 2012 01:25:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Aaron http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/03/22/kate-wong-on-the-hobbit-trail/comment-page-1/#comment-2864 Aaron Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:41:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/03/22/kate-wong-on-the-hobbit-trail/#comment-2864 I'm wondering what effect microcephaly would have on the survivability/longevity of an individual in a paleolithic society. My understanding is that LB1 was thought to be 30. Could the smaller than expected brain size simply be a function of limited availability of food and a lack of predators/competition selecting for a less energy-sapping brain? I’m wondering what effect microcephaly would have on the survivability/longevity of an individual in a paleolithic society. My understanding is that LB1 was thought to be 30.

Could the smaller than expected brain size simply be a function of limited availability of food and a lack of predators/competition selecting for a less energy-sapping brain?

]]> By: Murffy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/03/22/kate-wong-on-the-hobbit-trail/comment-page-1/#comment-2863 Murffy Thu, 23 Mar 2006 02:43:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/03/22/kate-wong-on-the-hobbit-trail/#comment-2863 Pretty good point about the parsimoniousness of the microcephaly explanation. Even if there's reason to doubt it (as outlined in part 2), the idea that LB1 is some form of diseased individual still seems like the simplest explanation for the evidence at hand. My imagination, of course, much prefers the hobbit thesis. Pretty good point about the parsimoniousness of the microcephaly explanation. Even if there’s reason to doubt it (as outlined in part 2), the idea that LB1 is some form of diseased individual still seems like the simplest explanation for the evidence at hand. My imagination, of course, much prefers the hobbit thesis.

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