Insular dwarfing amid congestion and otherwise range-restricted hominins in the absence of preditati

Recently, further evidence (1,2) has come to light that the morphology of genus homo is more flexible in its responses to the forces of evolution that typically shape the development of species. Here we discuss which circumstances the pressures that led to Homo floresiensis being derived from Homo erectus, could be expected to affect populations of Homo sapiens. If it is assumed that Homo floresiensis had approached the bottom limit for stature and endocranial volume, starting from Homo erectus the final stature and endocranial volume statistics of the gracile Homo sapiens sub species will be derived.
The circumstances under which the evolutionary pressures of limited resources and zero preditation could occur in the modern world are discussed, along with the probable outcomes.

1 Brown, P. et al. A new small-bodied hominin from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia. Nature 431, 1055-1061 (2004)

2Morwood,M.J. et al Archaeology and age of an new hominin from Flores in eastern Indonesia. Nature 431, 1087-1091 (2004)