A Bone to Pick in Indonesia By Richard C. Paddock Times Staff WriterWed Jun 15, 7:55 ! "T # !

P$%& T"R S, 'ndonesia ( The )ones in the *imestone ca+e had )een )uried more than 1,,--- years .hen the archeo*o/ists found them. The +i**a/ers say they )e*on/ed to sinners .ho dro.ned in the )i)*ica* &reat 0*ood. 1The 2eo2*e in the ca+e .ere condemned )y &od years a/o,1 said Stanis*aus Barus, 3-, his *i2s stained red from che.in/ )ete* nut. 1They had *ots of sins, accordin/ to the 4*d Testament. 't rained for 5- days and 5- ni/hts, and the condemned 2eo2*e took refu/e in the ca+e.1 The 'ndonesian and ustra*ian archeo*o/ists .ho )e/an unearthin/ the remains in 6ian/ Bua ca+e on the 'ndonesian is*and of 0*ores t.o years a/o ha+e come to a more scientific, if no *ess sensationa*, conc*usion: They say the )ones )e*on/ to a tiny, 2re+ious*y unkno.n s2ecies of human. The *itt*e 2eo2*e stood 7 foot 7 and had a )rain the si8e of a /ra2efruit, the archeo*o/ists say. !akin/ so2histicated stone too*s, they hunted 2y/my e*e2hants, /iant rats and #omodo dra/ons. They used fire to cook and a*most certain*y had a s2oken *an/ua/e. The archeo*o/ists named them 9omo f*oresiensis, or 0*ores !an. Based on the disco+ery of stone too*s e*se.here on 0*ores, scientists )e*ie+e the s2ecies: ancestors *anded on the is*and east of Ba*i more than ;--,--- years a/o and sur+i+ed there *on/ after modern humans arri+ed in the re/ion. !ost *ike*y they )ui*t rafts to reach 0*ores, .hich .ou*d make them the ear*iest kno.n sai*ors. +o*canic eru2tion may ha+e caused their e<tinction around 1-,--- BC. 'n the search for human ori/ins, some e<2erts ca** this one of the most im2ortant finds of the *ast century. The disco+ery cha**en/es the con+entiona* +ie. of human e+o*ution, 2articu*ar*y the )e*ief that ha+in/ a )i/ )rain is an essentia* 2art of )ein/ human. ccordin/ to the disco+ery team, these *itt*e 2eo2*e carried out com2*e< tasks .ith )rains sma**er than a chim2an8ee:s. %ot e+eryone has .e*comed the disco+ery. 'n 'ndonesia, the 4cto)er announcement of 0*ores !an in the res2ected British =ourna* %ature i/nited contro+ersy .ithin the scientific community and s2arked =ea*ousy amon/ e<2erts .ho .ere not 2art of the e<ca+ation. The disco+ery .as front>2a/e ne.s around the .or*d. Teuku Jaco), 'ndonesia:s 2reeminent 2a*eoanthro2o*o/ist, accused the ustra*ians of stea*in/ the *ime*i/ht from 'ndonesian archeo*o/ists )y ho*din/ their o.n ne.s conference, and he cha**en/ed the conc*usion that the )ones re2resented a se2arate s2ecies. 1They are a** modern man,1 dec*ared Jaco), a 2rofessor of 2hysica* anthro2o*o/y at &ad=ah !ada $ni+ersity in ?o/yakarta on the is*and of Ja+a. 'n his @uest to dis2ro+e the findin/s, Jaco) 2ersuaded an 'ndonesian mem)er of the team to *end him the 2rice*ess )ones. 0or months he refused to /i+e them )ack, then returned some of them )roken, inc*udin/ a smashed 2e*+is. !em)ers of the e<ca+ation team ha+e ca**ed his )eha+ior unethica*. %o. contro+ersy o+er the )ones has derai*ed further e<ca+ation at 6ian/ Bua. The @uarre* has 2rom2ted the inf*uentia* 'ndonesian 'nstitute of Sciences to 2rohi)it di//in/ in the ca+e, .hich had )een 2*anned for this year and mi/ht ha+e 2roduced ne. e+idence in the scientific de)ate. 1We shou*d sto2 e<ca+ation there for a .hi*e, to a+oid the dis2ute /ettin/ .orse,1 said 2rofessor $mar Jenie, chairman of the institute, .hich has authority o+er forei/n research in the country. 1'f .e don:t ha+e a coo*in/>do.n 2eriod, ' .orry that re*ationshi2s )et.een 'ndonesian and ustra*ian scientists .i** deteriorate.1

The tran@ui* +i**a/e of #am2un/ Teras in the mountains of .estern 0*ores seems an un*ike*y center of internationa* contro+ersy. The +i**a/e has no e*ectricity, runnin/ .ater or sanitation system. The 5-- inha)itants, a** of them Christian and most of them rice farmers, *i+e in sma** .ooden shacks .ith dirt f*oors. They cook their mea*s o+er o2en fires and .ash in the ri+er that runs throu/h the +i**a/e. %o one o.ns a car. When they *ea+e the +i**a/e, they tra+e* in a con+erted truck, usua**y so cro.ded that 2assen/ers ride on the roof. Aurin/ the recent e<ca+ation, more than 7- +i**a/ers /ot =o)s di//in/ .ith sma** sho+e*s and hau*in/ dirt from the ca+e. They earned *ess than B7 a day. 6ar/e +ines droo2 near the ca+e:s entrance, .hich has /ro.n .ider o+er the mi**enniums as the hi**side a)o+e has eroded. 'nside, )roken sta*actites han/ from the cei*in/, .hich in some 2*aces is more than 3- feet hi/h. 4+er the *ast 5- years, 'ndonesian and Autch archeo*o/ists found the remains of modern 9omo sa2iens in the to2 *ayers of the ca+e f*oor. But it .as not unti* e<ca+ations in ,--7 and ,--5 that the 'ndonesian> ustra*ian team du/ dee2er and found the )ones they identified as 0*ores !an. The most si/nificant find .as the sku** and ske*eton of a fema*e .ho *i+ed a)out 1;,--- years a/o: 't re+ea*ed the s2ecies: short stature and tiny )rain. The team a*so found )ones )e*on/in/ to si< other *itt*e 2eo2*e .ho *i+ed )et.een C5,--- and 1,,--- years a/o, a s2an of more than ;-,--- years. The )ones of the 2y/my humans .ere taken to Jakarta, the 'ndonesian ca2ita*, on Ja+a. %ot yet fossi*i8ed, they .ere too fra/i*e for castin/. 'nstead, researchers took them to a hos2ita*, ran a CT scan, and from that made a mode* of the sku**. The a/e of the )ones .as determined in ustra*ia usin/ rocks found .ith the s2ecimens. 14n 0*ores, e+o*ution has resu*ted in the most e<treme mor2ho*o/ica* chan/es e+er seen in hominids, inc*udin/ the sma**est stature and )rain si8e for any kno.n hominid s2ecies,1 said 2rofessor !ichae* !or.ood of ustra*ia:s $ni+ersity of %e. "n/*and, a co>*eader of the e<ca+ation team. Scientists say the 2y/mies and modern humans o+er*a22ed in the re/ion for at *east 5-,--- years, )ut no e+idence of contact )et.een them has )een found. The 2y/my )ones .ere unco+ered )eneath a *ayer of +o*canic ash that is a)out 1,,--- years o*d. ** traces of 9omo sa2iens in the ca+e .ere found a)o+e the ash *ayer. 1There are sti** many 2ro)*ems to so*+e,1 said Thomas Sutikna, an 'ndonesian archeo*o/ist on the disco+ery team. 19o. did they sur+i+e in the same 2eriod .ith modern humansD !ay)e they had contact .ith modern humans. We don:t ha+e information a)out that.1 The 2henomenon of *ar/e anima* s2ecies 1d.arfin/1 in iso*ated is*and ha)itats is .e** kno.n to scientists, a*thou/h it had not )een seen in humans. 'n this 2rocess, scarce food su22*ies /i+e the e+o*utionary ed/e to sma**er creatures, resu*tin/ in the *ar/er s2ecies: shrinka/e o+er time. Ste/odon, an e*e2hant that a*so reached 0*ores more than ;--,--- years a/o, /radua**y shrank to the si8e of a .ater )uffa*o. "+en as *ar/er s2ecies can d.arf in an is*and en+ironment, the o22osite can ha22en to sma**er s2ecies. 'n the a)sence of 2redators on 0*ores, the rats e+o*+ed to )ecome /i/antic. 6oca*s say the rats sti** e<ist and are sometimes cau/ht and )ar)ecued. Whi*e e+o*+in/ its short stature and other uni@ue traits, 9omo f*oresiensis retained 2rimiti+e characteristics in its =a. and 2e*+is that set it a2art from other s2ecies of human, !or.ood says. 'nitia* ana*ysis of the sku** su//ests that the )rain may ha+e ada2ted to )ecome more efficient as it shrank. "<ca+ations e*se.here on 0*ores ha+e unearthed stone too*s datin/ )ack more than ;--,--- years, indicatin/ that the 2y/mies: ancestors reached the is*and )efore that. !or.ood says the e<tent of e+o*utionary differences su//ests that the s2ecies *i+ed in iso*ation much *on/er, 2erha2s e+en , mi**ion years. 'f true, that .ou*d re.rite the theory of ear*y human mi/ration around the /*o)e.

Because of the dee2 ocean channe*s .est of 0*ores, reachin/ the is*and e+en durin/ the *o. sea *e+e*s of the ice a/es .ou*d 2ro)a)*y ha+e re@uired a .ater +oya/e, .hich some scho*ars ha+e thou/ht )eyond the a)i*ity of such ear*y humans. The 0*ores disco+ery su//ests that other s2ecies of humans mi/ht ha+e e+o*+ed e*se.here in the 'ndonesian archi2e*a/o, much as Char*es Aar.in found that tortoises and )irds e+o*+ed different*y on the +arious is*ands of the &a*a2a/os. 'ndonesia has )een rich in human archeo*o/ica* finds, inc*udin/ fossi*s kno.n as Ja+a !an, So*o !an and !o=okerto Chi*d, a** hominids on the is*and of Ja+a that *i+ed )et.een 5-,--- and 1.; mi**ion years a/o. Some archeo*o/ists )e*ie+e it .on:t )e *on/ )efore someone unearths ne. human s2ecies on nei/h)orin/ is*ands ( 2erha2s Timor !an, 6om)ok !an or Su*a.esi !an. The t.o 4cto)er artic*es in %ature announcin/ the 0*ores disco+ery under.ent a ri/orous 2eer re+ie. 2rocess )efore 2u)*ication. The main artic*e .as si/ned )y t.o ustra*ians, inc*udin/ !or.ood, and fi+e 'ndonesians, inc*udin/ Sutikna. Soon after, Jaco) assai*ed the team:s conc*usions, ar/uin/ that the 0*ores 2y/mies .ere modern humans and that the sku** of the fema*e .as sma** )ecause the .oman had suffered from microce2ha*y, a condition in .hich the head is a)norma**y sma**. Jaco), 75, .hose e<tensi+e co**ection of human fossi*s inc*udes the ce*e)rated sku**s of So*o !an and !o=okerto Chi*d, ar/ues that e+o*ution cannot 1/o )ack.ard1 and 2roduce a human .ith a sma**er )rain. human .ith such a tiny )rain, he contends, cou*d not ha+e hunted coo2erati+e*y, used fire or had a s2oken *an/ua/e. 1't is *ess than the )rain of the chim2an8ee, so it cou*d not )e makin/ too*s,1 said Jaco), a former rector of &ad=ah !ada $ni+ersity .ho once ser+ed in 2ar*iament. 1?ou can:t )ase a ne. s2ecies on one a)norma* s2ecimen. This is nothin/ more than a microce2ha*ic 2y/my human.1 To counter the team:s conc*usion that 0*ores !an .as a se2arate s2ecies, Jaco) )e/an com)in/ +i**a/es on 0*ores for short 2eo2*e in the ho2e of 2ro+in/ that they .ere descendants of the ca+e d.e**ers. So far he has found and 2hoto/ra2hed 73 adu*ts a+era/in/ a)out 5 foot 7. %one are as hei/ht>cha**en/ed as the 2y/my ske*eton. 4ne of Jaco):s disco+eries is Johannes Aaak, .ho has )ecome famous for )ein/ short. Standin/ 5 foot 1 and c*aimin/ to )e 1-- years o*d, Johannes is con+inced that he is descended from the 2y/mies. E9e sees no inconsistency .ith his other )e*ief that the ca+e d.e**ers died in %oah:s f*ood, *ea+in/ no offs2rin/.F Johannes makes a fe. do**ars )y char/in/ +isitors .ho .ant to take his 2hoto. nd .ho can )*ame himD 9e and his fami*y *i+e in a t.o>room shack .hose on*y furniture is a .ooden s*ee2in/ 2*atform. Rokus .e Aue, another co>author of the %ature artic*e, ar/ues that Jaco):s search for short 2eo2*e is mis/uided. The 2y/mies: )one structure is so different from modern humans: that Jaco):s current>day e<am2*es cannot )e the 2y/mies: descendants, the 'ndonesian scientist says. 0*ores !an is not characteri8ed mere*y )y short stature, )ut )y features such as a s*o2in/ forehead and recessed chin. 1't:s ridicu*ous,1 he said. 1Why do they measure the 2eo2*e:s hei/htD 9ei/ht is not the 2oint. Jaco) shou*d measure the )rain +o*ume of those 2eo2*e, )ecause the +o*ume is .hat matters.1 fter the dis2ute eru2ted, the 'ndonesian 'nstitute of Sciences disco+ered that the ustra*ian archeo*o/ists had ne+er o)tained a 2ermit from the institute to di/ in the ca+e.

That .as re@uired, said Jenie, the institute:s chairman, e+en thou/h the e<ca+ation .as conducted in 2artnershi2 .ith the res2ected 'ndonesian Research Center for rcheo*o/y. Jaco) says the *ack of a 2ermit is a si/n of the ustra*ians: *ack of res2ect for 'ndonesia. 1What they ha+e done is actua**y i**e/a*,1 he said. !or.ood said he )e*ie+ed that the center had o)tained a** the 2ro2er 2ermits. $sin/ his c*out in the scientific community, Jaco) arran/ed in %o+em)er for an 'ndonesian mem)er of the e<ca+ation team to shi2 the )ones of the 0*ores .oman and fi+e other indi+idua*s to him in ?o/yakarta, ,75 mi*es southeast of Jakarta, e+en thou/h he did not ha+e authori8ation from the e<ca+ation team as a .ho*e. 0or months, Jaco) dec*ined to return the )ones, a**o.in/ researchers .ho had no connection to the disco+ery to e<amine them. Jaco), .ho has )een accused of hoardin/ human fossi*s for his co**ection, in+ited a &erman researcher to take a sam2*e from a ri) and shi2 it to a &erman *a)oratory in the ho2e of e<tractin/ A% . Critics say that a**o.in/ an unaffi*iated scientist to take materia* from the find and send it o+erseas is an a22a**in/ )reach of scientific eti@uette. Jaco) and his researchers a*so made a mo*d of the sku**, *ea+in/ a residue of ru))er and scratches on the )one. s a resu*t of the castin/, !or.ood said, much of the finer anatomica* detai* at the )ase of the sku** .as *ost. 'n addition, a *o.er =a.)one .as )roken and /*ued )ack to/ether at a narro.er an/*e. tooth fe** out, and 2ieces of )one .ere )roken off. Jaco), .ho returned a** )ut the *e/ )ones in 0e)ruary, says the )reaka/e occurred durin/ the tri2 to ?o/yakarta. Rokus, the %ature artic*e co>author, sees a more sinister intent. 9e char/es that Jaco) .as tryin/ to mani2u*ate the e+idence, in 2articu*ar resha2in/ the =a.)one to fit his +ie. that it )e*on/ed to 9omo sa2iens. Jaco) doesn:t deny reconstructin/ some of the )ones. 1We tried to im2ro+e some of the thin/s,1 he ackno.*ed/ed. 1We didn:t dama/e any )ones. ctua**y, .e im2ro+ed some.1 Co2yri/ht G ,--5 6os n/e*es Times Co2yri/ht G ,--5 ?ahooH 'nc. ** ri/hts reser+ed. Iuestions or Comments Pri+acy Po*icy >Terms of Ser+ice > Co2yri/htJ'P Po*icy > d 0eed)ack