Witness History Discovery of the 'Hobbit'
Aug 13, 2025
Peter Brown, an Australian paleoanthropologist, is the guest discussing the fascinating discovery of Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the 'Hobbit'. He shares how initial excitement turned into a groundbreaking revelation when a small skeleton was identified as a distinct species challenging our understanding of human evolution. The conversation highlights the Hobbit's unique traits, lifestyle, and theories about its extinction, all while addressing public fascination with such extraordinary findings.
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The First Skull That Sparked The Hunt
- Mike Moorwood found a small skull on Flores that sparked immediate interest from colleagues.
- Peter Brown travelled to Indonesia after seeing a strange tooth and became intrigued rather than dismissive.
Rapid Recognition From Experience
- Peter Brown identified the jaw as non-modern-human within seconds based on decades of fossil experience.
- He measured skull volume with mustard seeds and found the brain roughly the size of an orange.
Measuring Brain Size With Mustard Seeds
- Peter smuggled mustard seeds through Jakarta customs to measure skull volume at the site.
- The tiny skull suggested a brain about half the size of a modern human's.
