Size of organisms

[Tamsicle]

There may be a really simple answer to this, and admittedly, I haven't read much on Evolution; but what (besides the obvious- genetic factors) determines the size of an organism? What about that island in Flores I think it was? In Indonesia somewhere anyway...it had the strangest sized inhabitants...What would be the advantage in becoming so small? Or so large? I don't know if the concept of adaptations could really explain it? I once read this paper on the way not all significant changes are a result of adaptations (which I believed and..)....

[Chris4]

Don't think ive heard of this island. Was it because years ago someone was born with a genetic disorder, which made them small or whatever was strange about them, and it wasn't elimated from the population. Due to the small population and probable breeding between blood relatives.

[victor]

You think that homo florosiensis is because of mutation??no..it's a new lineages of homo erectus that had been found by archeologists in Flores island...the size of their body is small (it's real, not a mutation or genetic disorder..) it's the same as Galayav (one of the homo erectus lineages who have a big body but extinct because they can't maintain their body heat).
Their (homo florosiensis) extinction isn't because of genetic disorder. It's because of the geographic isolation (they couldn't migrate) and then there's a natural disaster there. (if I'm not mistaken it's a volcano).

[Chris4]

Oh. No one told me they were dead...
I wouldn't have replied if i knew that

[MrMistery]

Did you think that Homo florensis walks the earth? They lived a long long time ago man....

[Tamsicle]

Homo floresiensis (spelling) lives! Okay, probably not physically...but in our hearts, atleast...lame attempt at humor. Is that allowed in these forums? Anyway, so they're isolated...? Is that just a lack of genetic diversity or something? Why is there such significant fluctuations in the sizes of many species? (I also wasn't around to witness that one, as I suppose none of you would have been- just to avoid further confusion)

[Chris4]

Did you think that Homo florensis walks the earth? They lived a long long time ago man....

How do you know they don't
In the original post all that was mentioned was "island in Flores". I read it briefly and didn't make a connection between Homo florensis. I haven't taken much interest in all these names for extinct humans.

[MrMistery]

On the island of Flores people live, but they are the same size as everyone else. Homo florensis were there a long time ago. After they died, normal humans came

[victor]

Yup...you're right Andrew..Homo floresiensis lived in Flores island long-long time ago and at that time it's said that there's an erupting volcano and because of geogrphic isolation they can run nowhere..so, they couldn't avoid their extinction..

@Tamsticle
Yup, they're isolated..even though their brain are more complex than us..still, they couldn't avoid the disaster..(lack of technology maybe...PS: at that time Einstein hasn't been born.. )

[Betsy]

From my understanding of the case, H. floresinsis shrank from a "normal" sized H. erectus to its current sized due to being on an island with limited resources. Similar decreses in size have occured on other islands. I remember hearing about finding mini mamaths on an island off Russia's coast, also some off of California's coast.

Betsy

[MrMistery]

You are right. We have a case here in romania (what used to be Hateg island) of mini-dinosaurs

[victor]

But...the latest research said that the difference also occured in their brain which H.Floresiensis had a more complex brains than us...
@Andrew and @Betsy
If you two can say like that, then the same thing will happen the same like Galayav then (like human now but their body is twice bigger)...but the fact is Galayav is located between the H.erectus and H.sapiens in the hereditary tree.