'Hobbit' island colonised much earlier than thought (phys.org)
Flores, the Indonesian island where skeletal remains of famous "hobbit hominids" were found in 2003, was colonised by humans much earlier than thought, scientists said on Wednesday.
Humans settled in Flores around a million years ago, at least 120,000 years sooner than previously estimated, they reported in the journal Nature.
Flores leapt into the headlines seven years ago when archaeologists found the skeletal remains of tiny humans who measured only a metre (3.25 feet) in height, weighed just 30 kilos (65 pounds) and had the brain the size of a chimp's.
The extraordinary discovery sparked an intellectual battle that has raged ever since.
On one side are those who say the "hobbits" -- whose nickname is inspired by the little people of J.R.R. Tolkien's tales -- are a separate species of human, whom they honour with the Latin name Homo floresiensis, or Man of Flores.
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more: http://phys.org/news/2010-03-hobbit-island-colonised-earlier-thought.html#jCp
Note that some of the info in this article from 17 March is already out of date -- see http://www.democraticunderground.com/122846299
