Anthropology: [1] Return of the hobbits (pp 1012-1017; N&V)
For immediate release
Palaeontologists digging on the remote Indonesian island of Flores have
turned up more bones of Homo floresiensis - the tiny hominin species
unveiled last October in Nature. The new findings include another jaw bone,
and the right arm belonging to the owner of the original skull found
previously.
The bones provide further evidence that H. floresiensis was indeed a
naturally tiny species, rather than suffering from an abnormally small brain
size, reports the team, led by Michael Morwood. What's more, dating of the
remains shows that they were present on the island as recently as 12,000
years ago.
H. floresiensis may also have been a proficient chef, the researchers add.
Other remains found at the site showed that they butchered a small
elephant-like species called Stegodon, and that they had mastered the use of
fire. Harvard anthropologist Daniel Lieberman puts the findings in context
in an accompanying News and Views article.
CONTACT
Mike Morwood (University of New England, Armidale, Australia)
Tel: +61 2 67 73 2357, E-mail:[email protected]
Peter Brown co-author (University New England, Armidale, Australia)
Tel: + 61 2 67733064, E-mail: [email protected]
Richard 'Bert' Roberts - co-author (University of Wollongong, NSW,
Australia)
Tel: +61 2 4221 5319, E-mail: [email protected]
Daniel E. Lieberman (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Tel: +1 617 495 5479; E-mail: [email protected]
