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New human-like species discovered

bbc.co.uk

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Re: New human-like species discovered

#41

Post by thaumasiotes »

njharman wrote: post #26

Something I've never understood (since highschool some 30 years ago) is; when getting partial skeletons perhaps from only a single individual, how can they claim new species? I mean what's diff with that and some hypothetical future anthropoligist looking at siberian with roundish skull thicker brow ridges and that of six foot tall masai with long face and then a sub 5 foot native peruvian and declaring them all diff…

What's stopping a future anthropologist from declaring siberians and pygmies to be different species? It's not done now for political reasons, but the future has no reason to be concerned with the past's special sensitivities.

Consider that "spanish" and "italian" are officially separate languages, while the US and Scotland both officially speak "english". The terminology won't help you predict which pair has an easier time communicating. It's political.

Re: New human-like species discovered

#42

Post by johnchristopher »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #41
njharman wrote: post #26

Something I've never understood (since highschool some 30 years ago) is; when getting partial skeletons perhaps from only a single individual, how can they claim new species? I mean what's diff with that and some hypothetical future anthropoligist looking at siberian with roundish skull thicker brow ridges and that of six foot tall masai with long face and then a sub 5 foot native peruvian and declaring them all diff…

What's stopping a future anthropologist from declaring siberians and pygmies to be different species? It's not done now for political reasons, but the future has no reason to be concerned with the past's special sensitivities. Consider that "spanish" and "italian" are officially separate languages, while the US and Scotland both officially speak "english". The terminology won't help you predict which pair has an easi…

> What's stopping a future anthropologist from declaring siberians and pygmies to be different species?

The fact that they are capable of producing fertile offspring ?

Re: New human-like species discovered

#43

Post by sangnoir »

PvsNP_ZA wrote: post #40
sangnoir wrote: post #22

entirely off-topic: 'Naledi' means 'star' (the celestial kind) in both Tswana and Sotho - 2 of South Africa's 11 official languages[1]. 1. Also included: English and Afrikaans. South Africa is a pretty diverse place https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_South_Africa

Most people speak English to bridge the gaps. At work, in the shops, etc.

Most South Africans are multilingual, and English is commonly used (especially in urban areas. Rural tend to skew Afrikaans). "English is South Africa's lingua franca, and the primary language of government, business, and commerce"[1]

However, only 9.6% of the population use English as their first ('home') language. Zulu has the highest proportion with 22.7%

1. http://www.southafrica.info/about/people/language.htm#distri...

Re: New human-like species discovered

#44

Post by gregwtmtno »

njharman wrote: post #26

Something I've never understood (since highschool some 30 years ago) is; when getting partial skeletons perhaps from only a single individual, how can they claim new species? I mean what's diff with that and some hypothetical future anthropoligist looking at siberian with roundish skull thicker brow ridges and that of six foot tall masai with long face and then a sub 5 foot native peruvian and declaring them all diff…

I think the problem is the "species" construction itself. Remember, it's completely made up by people and has no obligation to reflect the sometimes messy reality on the ground.

I'm more interested in what we can learn about these people (using the term for convenience) than what they are called. When did they live? How much genetic distance is there between us and them? Do modern humans carry some of their genes? Could they speak?

Re: New human-like species discovered

#45

Post by kaffeemitsahne »

johnchristopher wrote: post #42
thaumasiotes wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's stopping a future anthropologist from declaring siberians and pygmies to be different species? It's not done now for political reasons, but the future has no reason to be concerned with the past's special sensitivities. Consider that "spanish" and "italian" are officially separate languages, while the US and Scotland both officially speak "english". The terminology won't help you predict which pair has an easi…

> What's stopping a future anthropologist from declaring siberians and pygmies to be different species? The fact that they are capable of producing fertile offspring ?

I think the point was: how can you know that when you only have a few kg of bone fragments?

Re: New human-like species discovered

#48

Post by johnchristopher »

kaffeemitsahne wrote: post #45
johnchristopher wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What's stopping a future anthropologist from declaring siberians and pygmies to be different species? The fact that they are capable of producing fertile offspring ?

I think the point was: how can you know that when you only have a few kg of bone fragments?

I am more concerned with the scientific racism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_racism#United_State...) emanating from that post.

Re: New human-like species discovered

#49

Post by PvsNP_ZA »

sangnoir wrote: post #43
PvsNP_ZA wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people speak English to bridge the gaps. At work, in the shops, etc.

Most South Africans are multilingual, and English is commonly used (especially in urban areas. Rural tend to skew Afrikaans). "English is South Africa's lingua franca, and the primary language of government, business, and commerce"[1] However, only 9.6% of the population use English as their first ('home') language. Zulu has the highest proportion with 22.7% 1. http://www.southafrica.info/about/people/language.htm#di…

Are we by any chance both South African and trying to lecture each other about South African culture?

Re: New human-like species discovered

#50

Post by ig1 »

HerpDerpLerp wrote: post #17
ig1 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably they're close enough to us that if we can recover their DNA we could use gene editing technology to bring them back to life.

Presumably you don't work in a biological field!

If they're in the same genus presumably the same CRISPR approach that's being used to inject Wooly Mammoth genes into Elephants can apply ?
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