評論
打印
(C)
Small discoveries in Indonesia are causing a stir in the science world. Researchers have unearthed (挖掘) tiny bones that they believe belong to an entirely new human species. If that’s true, it will change how we think about our ancestors.
Clues that the little people may have lived long ago were first revealed last year in the scientific journal Nature. Scientists said that they had found the bones of a three-foot-tall female on the island of Flores, in Indonesia. When they looked more closely, they saw that the nearly complete skeleton (骨骼) belonged to a full-grown adult. Researchers named her Hobbit, after the tiny heroes of the Lord of the Rings books.
Now the team is saying it has unearthed even more pieces of the puzzle, including a jawbone and parts of arms, legs and hands from several individuals, as well as stone tools. They reported their find in Nature this month. “The new evidence makes it very clear that these people are a new species ,distinct from modern humans,” Peter Brown, a scientist on the team, said. They named these ancient humans Homo floresiensis.
Brown says that these little people lived as recently as 12,000 years ago. If Homo floresiensis was a different species from modern humans, that would make our family tree bigger than we knew. It means, says Brown, that “until recently, a relative shared the planet with us.”
Many scientists think a new species is unlikely. Some argue that the bones must have belonged to modern humans whose small size was the result of a genetic problem.
Daniel E. Lieberman, a scientist at Harvard University, thinks that the debate over the discovery is healthy. He believes that the questions and arguments raised by critics will help us learn more about these unusual skeletons. “Disagreement is an important part of the scientific process,” Lieberman said. “As far as I’m concerned, the story’s only just begun.”
72. Researchers name the skeleton Hobbit because ________.
A. it is a figure described in the Lord of the Rings
B. it resembles the tiny heroes in a set of books
C. it proves to be a full-grown adult
D. it belongs to an ancient human species
73. Small discoveries in Indonesia are important because ________.
A. they are revealed in the scientific journal Nature
B. they are made by Peter Brown, a famous scientist
C. they are about ancestors of modern humans
D. they might provide new evidence for human study
74. according to Daniel E. Lieberman _________.
A. Homo floresiensis doesn’t exist
B. Disagreement leads to further research
C. The investigation hasn’t begun yet
D. Our family tree is bigger than we knew
75. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. Comparison between Different Peoples
B. Arguments over Human Origin
C. Discovery of a Possible New Human Species
D. History of Indonesian People
