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Published online 4 March 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.643
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Hobbit was 'a cretin'
Fossil may be early example of hypothyroidism.
The ‘hobbit’ could be a cretin, Australian scientists say. But this latest assertion in the ongoing row over the identity of the small human skeleton found on the island of Flores in Indonesia is already being challenged — not least because the Australians used only cast images and never examined the actual skeleton.
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Have the age of this 'hobit' been known? If the found skull belongs to an adult man, it is less possible that the human had a congenital abnormality. People living in stone age could not afford to raise deficient members.
I feel that the age at death of this individual is not relevant to the debate on its potential pathology. The pathological specimen Shanidar 1 (a classic neanderthal living much earlier than the 'hobbit') apparently lived to a ripe old age despite serious physical disability.
Its always good to see leaders such as Profs Holloway and Falk in agreement and at least to my mind makes their combined erudite opinions a reasonable solution to this debate
In my opinion, from clinical viewpoint, it seems very bold and not well-grounded such as conclusion, i.e.,since there is an enlarged pituitary gland at the base of the skull behind the nasal region,that is evidence that the skeleton is not from a new species (called Homo floresiensis ) but from a H. sapiens with cretinism — a condition in which a person is born with a deficient thyroid gland. First of all, hyperactivity of TSH-RH neuronal centre, stimulating hypophysis to secret TSH, does not provokes its particularly great enlargement. On the other hand, enlarged pituitary gland may be brought about by a lot of other glandular deficiency. Sergio Stagnaro MD
I wonder to which extent science is influenced by other social factors like, for example, popular movies. It seems to me that this discussion simply illustrates a need for a much more critical attitude towards interpretation of these findings since a phenotype in question could be manifesting some pathological changes either of known or unknown origin.
According to my paleontologist colleagues morphometric data show that Flores perfectly fits the erectus phenotype. Quite unexpected for a pathology. It is worth noting that the same hypothesis of a "cretin" had been made after the first discovery of a Neanderthal remain. Michel Tibayrenc, MD, PhD