Talk:Insular dwarfism
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Hmmm...I agree about the merger. They seem to be different versions of the same thing, and except for the list of examples, Insular dwarfism has a more developed explanation and is an actual name for the process. --Kaz 21:50, 12 June 2006 (UTC)
"Human beings along the islands off the coast of India, especially Homo floresiensis" is misleading? Homo floresiensis was found in Flores, Indonesia
[edit] Balance
I was talking to a paleontologist today, and he told me that actually there is an optimal size for woods mammals (about a small dog) and another for plains mammals (like a four-legged human). However species diverge from these sizes when there are other factors besides energy balance. The example he put was elephants who are big to defend themselves from predators. If an elephant species is left alone in an island it evolves towards the optimal size, hence the dwarfism. If it is a small species who becomes isolated, we'll have insular gigantism.
Did I understand it right? Should this theory appear in the article? --Error 23:32, 11 November 2006 (UTC)
- We should hold off on inserting this into the article until we see more examples of it in scientific literature. Or at least until we come across a layperson-friendly translation--Mr Fink 02:08, 12 November 2006 (UTC)
