Scientists have confirmed that the diminutive creature dubbed the hobbit discovered on the remote Indonesian island of Flores was most likely a new species of human.
Remains of the 1m-tall creatures were found in a cave on the island alongside some tools and evidence of a fire.
One specimen, a female dubbed LB1, is thought to have lived 18,000 years ago when the island was home to other bizarre animals, including elephants the size of ponies, over-sized rats and giant lizards that would dwarf the 3m-long Komodo dragons living there now.
Scientists revealed the new species of human, named Homo floresiensis, last October but their claims were challenged by groups that believed the skeletons were those of pygmy humans or those of people with a rare skull-shrinking condition called microcephalia.
The first detailed study of the creature's brain, by Dean Falk at Florida State University, has shown that it was different to anything seen before.
"It's unique. It has advanced features that span the entire brain, which suggest the original discoverers were quite correct that this is a new species of human," she said.
Falk's team used a series of x-ray images to build up a 3D computer model of the surface of the creature's brain.
Small-brained creatures in particular leave imprints of their brain on the inside of their skulls as they grow, revealing details of the size and position of various brain structures. The team also made a latex model of the brain.
Analysis of the Brains
Analysis of the model brains suggested that while they were similar to those of the human ancestor Homo erectus, which died out 400,000 years ago, they differed in several important ways.
The frontal lobes above the eyes were enlarged, suggesting the creature was capable of intelligent thought.
"We know that in people, this region is important for planning ahead and taking initiative," Falk said.
The brain also had fat temporal lobes, which would have aided memory, the processing of emotions and speech sounds, and helped identify objects.
The models also showed that a crescent-shaped groove, called the lunate focus, had been pushed toward the back of the head indicating that other parts of the brain had expanded, most probably those parts which glue together information from different senses.
"I never in my life expected to see such a small brain with these kinds of features," said Falk, whose study appeared in the journal Science Express yesterday.
At just 417c3, Homo floresiensis's brain is about the size of a grapefruit, or one-third the size of the average adult human brain.
The unusual features of the brain suggest that the creature may well have been advanced enough to make and use basic tools.
"I was skeptical when I began the study, but there's nothing in what we've found that rules it out," Falk said.
Some experts believe the creatures were descended from a race of Homo erectus which reached Flores by sea and evolved into "hobbits" in response to limited food supplies on the island.
Further discoveries of charred bones and stone tools on Flores suggest that creatures lived there from about 95,000 years ago to at least 13,000 years ago, although some say they cannot rule out the fanciful possibility that the creatures still exist in the impenetrable forests of Southeast Asia.
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