FLORES
MAN
It sounds too incredible to be true,
but this is not a hoax. A species
of tiny human has been discovered,
which lived on the remote Indonesian
island of Flores just 18,000 years
ago.
Researchers have unearthed remains from individuals who were just one metre tall, with grapefruit-sized skulls. These astonishing little people,
nicknamed 'hobbits', made tools, hunted
tiny elephants and lived at the same
time as modern humans who were colonizing
the area.
Nature news tells the
story of a find that changes the world
of palaeoanthropology, and challenges
our perception of what it means to
be human.
INTERVIEW The
Flores find Peter Brown,
who led the analysis, and Mike Morwood, who
directed the Flores dig, give their reflections.
27 October 2004
muse@nature.com
Flores, God and cryptozoology
The discovery raises hopes for yeti hunters
and, says Henry Gee, poses thorny questions
about the uniqueness of Homo sapiens. 27 October 2004
ANALYSIS A
stranger from Flores When
a new fossil is found it is often claimed
that it will rewrite the anthropological textbooks.
For once, the claim is fully justified. 27 October
2004
NEWS
AND VIEWS Human
evolution writ small We are the only
living species of the genus Homo. But
it seems we coexisted with another species
until much more recently than we thought. 27 October 2004
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Palaeoanthropology:
Looking for the ancestors The scientists who
discovered a new species of human in Indonesia last
year are now back, looking for the bones that will
flesh out their theories. Rex Dalton joins them. 23 March 2005
INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC Travellers'
tales Discover
the stories behind the many weird and wonderful
finds made in Asia and the Pacific islands.
VIDEO Could
the 'hobbits' have inspired the mythical
tales often told by Flores natives? And
did Flores Man have language?
Find out from Nature's Henry Gee.
Could
the 'hobbits' have inspired the 
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