It’s human…
When the team of Indonesian archaeologists stumbled upon the skeletal remains of Homo floresiensis they were sure that they were human bones. However, they had doubted that they belonged to an adult and speculated that they may be the bones of a human child.
The partial skeleton of Homo floresiensis before it was lifted (Photo: © Liang Bua Team/ARKENAS)
These doubts were dispelled after removing dirt from the teeth.
“…we were still not sure if it was a child. But after a couple of days, we were able to remove all the dirt in the teeth. All of us were very, very surprised because it was an adult human” (Thomas Sutikna, archaeologist)
“…with a discovery such as Homo floresiensis, it really tells us that there’s a lot more out there that we just haven’t found yet. And that we’re likely going to continue to find more diversity, likely more species, and a more complicated evolutionary history for the species that are most closely related to us” ( Matt Tocheri, palaeoanthropologist ).
Homo Floresiensis Uncovered: The Science of ‘the Hobbit’
Homo Floresiensis Uncovered: The Science of ‘the Hobbit’
Our purpose is to transform access to education.
We offer a diverse selection of courses from leading universities and cultural institutions from around the world. These are delivered one step at a time, and are accessible on mobile, tablet and desktop, so you can fit learning around your life.
We believe learning should be an enjoyable, social experience, so our courses offer the opportunity to discuss what you’re learning with others as you go, helping you make fresh discoveries and form new ideas.
You can unlock new opportunities with unlimited access to hundreds of online short courses for a year by subscribing to our Unlimited package. Build your knowledge with top universities and organisations.
Learn more about how FutureLearn is transforming access to education
