佛罗勒斯人(Homo floresiensis)是近年发现的一种史前人类，为人属的一种，主要特征是体型小，大脑小，因此也被化名作“哈比人”。 一般认为他们与现代人类曾经生活在一个时代。他们居住在印尼弗洛勒斯岛上，直到约12000年前灭绝，是已绝种人属中存活最久的。
印度尼西亚在多年前挖掘出一种矮小的人类骨骸，经过研究发现，这种身高仅1米的“哈比人”应该就是人类的始祖。电影魔戒里哈比人腿短、毛多、体型娇小可爱，这是作者托尔金凭空幻想出来的人物，没想到现在考古证实，的确曾经存在“哈比人”。考古学家在印度尼西亚的佛罗瑞斯岛挖掘到史前小矮人的骨骸，发现这种“佛罗瑞斯人”，身高只有100公分、体重30公斤。一开始部分学者还以为，他们是脑部因病萎缩的侏儒人症患者，因为他们的脑部容量只有现代人的 1/3，没想到随着更多骨骸出土，证实是一种新人种。考古队发现，佛罗勒斯人具有现代人特征，像是四指并排，不过脚部结构又很原始，和黑猩猩类似。考古学家猜测体形这么娇小，应该是猿人为了适应岛居而演化成侏儒，不过更多的考古之谜仍有待专家一一解开。
Songwriter Randy Newman once sang, “short people got no reason to live.” But once upon a time, on an isolated island in the Java sea(爪哇海), short people not only lived–they dominated the food chain. Standing no more than three and a half feet tall, these human ancestors hunted giant rats, lumbering lizards, and miniature elephants.
It sounds a bit like a fairy tale, but it’s true. Excavations(挖掘) on the island of Flores uncovered the remains of a race of tiny human ancestors. (1)Homo floresiensis, as the newly discovered species has been named, apparently (2)lived up until thirteen thousand years ago. This means they overlapped with modern humans.
So how and why did these people get so small? Scientists suspect that it’s due to the fact that this race of Tiny Tims lived on an isolated island with limited resources. Take the case of the miniature elephants that are known to have once roamed the island. When elephants first came to the island either by swimming or some kind of natural land raft, they were probably close to full size. But since there wasn’t much to eat, over time smaller elephants lived longer and (3)fared better. The smaller the elephant, the less it had to eat to stay strong and healthy.
Scientists call this the “island rule,” and it could apply to humans as well as animals. Given the island’s sparse food supply, it makes sense that the early humans living there would have evolved a body size requiring less food to survive. So bigger isn’t always better. In the case of homo floresiensis, at least, getting smaller was the way to go.
Notes:
(1)Homo floresiensis:佛罗勒斯人
(2)live up v.快乐地过日子
Are you alone? Do you live up here all by yourself?
只有你一个人吗?只有你一个人住在这里吗?
(3)fare [fε?] vi.经营;进展;遭遇;过活 n.票价;费用;旅客;食物
The taxi fare was too high, so I persuaded her to cycle there.
出租车费用太高，所以我说服了她骑自行车去那里。
