I'm having a debate with some creationist and he tells me that homoerectus suffered Pfeiffer syndrome which affects about 1 in 100,000 individuals.

I think this is a baseless claim. So I need to know how many homoerectus skulls have been found.

 

Thanks.

Dozens, possibly hundreds. There are a LOT of fossil hominins, especially common species like H. erectus.

Best thing to do may be to ask for the source of his information. I'm sure that, if you compared modern craniums affected by Pfeiffer Syndrome, they vary greatly in average shape; it seems improbably that the disease would cause all the craniums of H. erectus to take the same exact shape.

 

Not that I want to spur a debate on eugenics between you and your associate, but how would he explain the variation in skull shape between the cultures in modern-day earth? They do not all vary in size and shape due to one illness or another.

He said he wasnt sure it was Pfeiffer syndrome but some other deformation.

Yeah, it's another baseless creationist claim.

LoL love having arguments i mean civilised conversational debates with those stupid i mean with those people who haven;t been given a basic bio lesson.

How would it be possible to test for this disease accurately with fossils? I agree another ridiculous creationist claim.

How would it be possible to test for this disease accurately with fossils? I agree another ridiculous creationist claim.

 

I would think that it would be a simple matter of comparing skull structures to those found in modern victims. While all the skulls would be different, they would still have some features in common. I guess the key indicator would be that an otherwise normally developed fossilized skeleton would have a skull with various stages of development. I would also think that the deformation would cause characteristic microscopic changes in the skull's growth patterns as well - ie, stretched or elongated (overall, stressed) bone tissues and cavities, etc. The fossilization process should preserve some of this structural evidence.

I would think that it would be a simple matter of comparing skull structures to those found in modern victims. While all the skulls would be different, they would still have some features in common. I guess the key indicator would be that an otherwise normally developed fossilized skeleton would have a skull with various stages of development. I would also think that the deformation would cause characteristic microscopic changes in the skull's growth patterns as well - ie, stretched or elongated (overall, stressed) bone tissues and cavities, etc. The fossilization process should preserve some of this structural evidence.

 

I see I see, but its seems like somewhat of a stretch. Good points though

Do not listen to those people. Homoerectus is well documented. Whoever is questioning the validity of our past due to evolution is dead wrong.

Good Luck!

Do not listen to those people. Homoerectus is well documented. Whoever is questioning the validity of our past due to evolution is dead wrong.

Good Luck!

 

When I was a kid, grade 9, I had a teacher who claimed to be member of the Flat Earth Society. He had a number of arguments that made sense, in a superficial way. No one took him seriously, nor did he himself, but everyone enjoyed the debate, and there was no conflict with the particular course he was teaching, so I think he felt comfortable without letting on. He never admitted he knew better.