Course: Homo Floresiensis Uncovered: The Science of ‘the Hobbit’

As we continue to follow the excavations in Liang Bua, we learn about various methods of handling and examining evidence in the cave. Some of processes that the team have …

Since its discovery in 2003, the evolutionary status of Homo floresiensis has been subject to lively debate among the archaeology and palaeoanthropology community. Some have seen the hominin as a …

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 …

The skeletal remains of Homo floresiensis were discovered by a local team of Indonesian archaeologists at Liang Bua in 2003. The moment when the partial skeleton of Homo floresiensis was …

A non-linear bush… Our evolutionary story is not linear, as was once thought to be the case. Rather, like other animals, the human family tree is much more like a …

What makes you ‘you’ is as much about you as a person as it is about the ancestry written in your genes… Human evolution is an eternally fascinating topic regarding …

Evidence shows that modern humans were present in northern Australia as early as 50, 000 to 60,000 years ago, and by about 42,000 years ago in East Timor. But information …

Has this course sparked your interest in a field of research or study in the area of archaeological science? Are you inspired to discover more? Science Degree Programs The University …

Just over a decade ago, we had no idea that Homo floresiensis even existed. So we’re really only just beginning to address the question of who Homo floresiensis is… Skeletal …

What is the evolutionary history of Homo floresiensis and how does this impact upon what we know about our origins as a species? While scientists have learned much about the …

There are more unanswered questions than answered questions… “We know that we’re missing way more than what we have. There’s always a lot more that we don’t know than what …

The discovery of Homo floresiensis has had significant implications for our understanding of human evolution. The unique morphological features of Homo floresiensis, including its diminutive stature and small brain size, …

Modern archaeological science addresses many questions about the mystery of the Hobbit. Here is an overview of key parts of the puzzle that shed light on what we currently know …

“It’s almost like the skeleton acts like a time machine, and different parts of the body give us information about different periods of earlier human evolution…” (Dr Matt Tocheri, palaeoanthropologist) …

If interesting residues are found by scientists when artefacts are screened in the laboratory, they will be sent for analysis by archaeochemists using spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques. Vibrational spectroscopy …