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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: "Hobbits" Were Pygmy Ancestors, Not New Species, Study Says


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The grapefruit-size skull of a "hobbit"—a type of human that stood little more than three feet (one meter) tall—shows apparent growth abnormalities that suggest the ancient fossils come from diseased modern humans, not a distinct dwarf species.

The original skull is seen on the left. When the right side of the skull is mirrored (center), it looks significantly different than when the left side of the skull is mirrored (right), showing that the skull grew asymmetrically.

Image courtesy PNAS