Using forensic methods, the Australian anthropologist reconstructed the face of the mysterious Floresian man
Homo floresiensis (aka "the hobbit") was discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003 and sparked a heated debate. Some believe that this is a completely new species, while others see in it a representative of an already known species, only with some deviations (possibly of a pathological nature)
Honorary Senior Researcher at the University of Wollongong, Susan Hayes, did a lot of work for the police, so stick muscle and fat on the skull model was not difficult for her. She has a surprisingly familiar face with high cheekbones, long ears and a wide nose. “Not the most beautiful, but expressive,” says Ms. Hayes herself about the portrait. "The work took a little longer than I expected and gave more headaches than usual, but I am happy with the chosen method and the result."
Human evolution specialist Darren Curnow of the University of New South Wales (Australia) admits that the face turned out to be more modern than he expected. "The bones are quite primitive and a bit like those of the predecessors of humans who lived two or three million years ago, but the reconstruction looks, in my opinion, surprisingly modern," - said the scientist. But, in his opinion, this is not a reason for criticism: “I think that the new approach based on methods of forensic science is interesting and can really help us understand what Homo floresiensis was like. Until now, we have seen only artistic interpretations, very beautiful, but now we have come closer to a scientific and accurate representation."
Mr. Kernow added that scientists are increasingly leaning towards the legitimacy of the "hobbit" as a separate species. But where to put it on the evolutionary tree?
