{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T20:47:47Z","timestamp":1792097267997,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":111,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2010,3,12]],"date-time":"2010-03-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1268352000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["American J Phys Anthropol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Since <jats:italic>Homo floresiensis<\/jats:italic> was first described in October 2004 there has been a lively debate over its status. Is it a late surviving species of early <jats:italic>Homo<\/jats:italic> or merely a modern individual afflicted with disordered growth and one of the many syndromes resulting in microchephaly? Recently the discovery team has published a series of articles providing detailed descriptions of the hominin material, its geomorphological context, and the associated archaeology and faunal material (Morwood and Jungers: J Hum Evol 57 (<jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" xlink:href=\"#bib51\">2009<\/jats:ext-link>) 437\u2010648). In addition, other researchers have put forward new hypotheses for possible pathologies including Laron's Syndrome and Myxoedematous Endemic (ME) Cretinism. Here I review this new information and conclude that the evidence supports the hypothesis that <jats:italic>Homo floresiensis<\/jats:italic> is a late\u2010surviving species of early <jats:italic>Homo<\/jats:italic> with its closest morphological affinities to early African pre\u2010<jats:italic>erectus\/ergaster<\/jats:italic> hominins. Although this hypothesis requires fundamental paradigm changes in our understanding of human evolution, it provides a more economical explanation for <jats:italic>H. floresiensis<\/jats:italic> than do the alternatives. None of the current explanations for microcephaly and disordered growth account for the range of features observed in <jats:italic>H. floresiensis<\/jats:italic>. Neither do they provide explanations for why a pathological condition in modern humans would mimic so closely the morphology observed in earlier hominins. This conclusion is based on the current evidence for <jats:italic>H. floresiensis<\/jats:italic> and on the particular pathological explanations that have appeared in the literature. There is no doubt that controversy over <jats:italic>H. floresiensis<\/jats:italic> will continue until new and conclusive evidence is available to settle the debate one way or another. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. \u00a9 2010 Wiley\u2010Liss, Inc.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.21255","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2010,3,12]],"date-time":"2010-03-12T18:02:02Z","timestamp":1268416922000},"page":"167-179","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":99,"title":["Five years of <i>Homo floresiensis<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"142","author":[{"given":"Leslie C.","family":"Aiello","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2010,3,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_1_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.10399"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_3_1","first-page":"219","article-title":"Homo floresiensis: microcephalic, pygmoid. Australopithecus or Homo?","volume":"57","author":"Argue D","year":"2006","journal-title":"Homo\u2010J Comp Hum Biol"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_4_1","first-page":"47","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian paleoanthropology and archaeology","author":"Argue D","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2009.05.002"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2008.08.011"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.306.5701.1450b"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.306.5699.1116a"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_9_1","first-page":"90","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances onSoutheast Asian paleoanthropology and archaeology","author":"Bowdler S","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature03052"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rsbl.2007.0113"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2009.06.002"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_13_1","first-page":"5","article-title":"Comments from Peter Brown and Mike Morwood","volume":"1","author":"Brown P","year":"2004","journal-title":"Before Farming 4\/ article"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature02999"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature04618"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jchb.2006.11.001"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.307.5713.1179"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.307.5717.1848a"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.310.5746.208a"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.312.5778.1293a"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.320.5875.433"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/434005a"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/news.2008.643"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature04259"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_25_1","first-page":"265","article-title":"On the principal characters of the cranium and the brain, the mandible and the teeth of Pithecanthropus erectus","volume":"27","author":"Dubois E","year":"1924","journal-title":"Proc R Acad Amsterdam"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_26_1","first-page":"730","article-title":"On the principal characters of the femur of Pithecanthropus","volume":"29","author":"Dubois E","year":"1926","journal-title":"Proc R Acad Amsterdam"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_27_1","first-page":"107","volume-title":"Proceedings from The International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Eckhardt RB","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_28_1","first-page":"95","article-title":"LB1 did not have Laron syndrome","volume":"46","author":"Falk D","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am J Phys Anthropol Suppl"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.21035"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1109727"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1117062"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1124972"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0609185104"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_34_1","first-page":"106","article-title":"LB1 is not a microcephalic","volume":"44","author":"Falk D","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am J Phys Anthropol Suppl"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2008.10.008"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_36_1","first-page":"37","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Falk D","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/446979a"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.306.5697.789"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0710041105"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_40_1","first-page":"24","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Henneberg M","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_41_1","volume-title":"The hobbit trap: money, fame, science and the discovery of a \u201cnew species\u201d","author":"Henneberg M","year":"2008"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_42_1","first-page":"2","article-title":"Flores human may be pathological Homo sapiens","volume":"1","author":"Hennenberg M","year":"2004","journal-title":"Before Farming 4\/article"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.20655"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.20877"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_45_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2009.04.007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_46_1","first-page":"105","article-title":"The brain endocast of Homo floresiensis: microcephaly and other issues","volume":"42","author":"Holloway RL","year":"2006","journal-title":"Am J Phys Anthropol Suppl"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_47_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/434702b"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_48_1","first-page":"v\u2010xi","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Indriati E","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_49_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0047-2484(73)90125-5"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_50_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0605563103"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_51_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/369194a0"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_52_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4020-9980-9_9"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_53_1","unstructured":"JungersWL FalkD HildeboltC SmithK PriorF TocheriMW OrrCM BurnettSE LarsonSG DjubiantonoT MorwoodMJ.2009b.The Origin of the Human Species. AAAS meeting: February 12\u201319 2009 Chicago IL."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_54_1","first-page":"127","article-title":"Hobbit bipedalism: functional anatomy of the foot of Homo floresiensis","volume":"46","author":"Jungers WL","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am J Phys Anthropol Suppl"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_55_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature07989"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_56_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2008.08.014"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_57_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2008.05.002"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_58_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.21066"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_59_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000076239"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tree.2007.10.002"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_61_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/4311043a"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_62_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/evan.20149"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_63_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2007.06.003"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_64_1","first-page":"151","article-title":"Misconceptions about the postcranial skeleton of Homo floresiensis","volume":"44","author":"Larson SG","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am J Phys Anthropol Suppl"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_65_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2008.06.007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_66_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/437957a"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_67_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1537\/ase.080411"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_68_1","first-page":"9","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Martin RD","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_69_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ar.a.20389"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_70_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1121144"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_71_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.patcog.2008.04.018"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_72_1","first-page":"133","volume-title":"Evolutionary history of the \u2018robust\u2019 australopithecines","author":"McHenry HM","year":"1988"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_73_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0708024105"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_74_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2006.08.002"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_75_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2008.10.006"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_76_1","volume-title":"A new human","author":"Morwood M","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_77_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature04022"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_78_1","series-title":"Paleoanthropological research at Liang Bua","first-page":"437","author":"Morwood MJ","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_79_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/32401"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_80_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature02956"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_81_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2009.07.003"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_82_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tree.2006.11.009"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_83_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tree.2007.10.004"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_84_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0003598X00095569"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_85_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.2007.1488"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_86_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.embor.7400471"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_87_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1151174"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_88_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1420-9101.2006.01179.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_89_1","first-page":"180","article-title":"What does the proximal femur tell us about the evolution of bipedalism over the past six million years?","volume":"46","author":"Richmond BG","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am J Phys Anthropol Suppl"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_90_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2009.01.003"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_91_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.20907"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_92_1","first-page":"76","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Sankhyan AR","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_93_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"The Ngandong fossil hominins: a comparative study for a Far Eastern Homo erectus group","volume":"78","author":"Santa Luca AP","year":"1980","journal-title":"Yale Univ Pub Anthrop"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_94_1","first-page":"159","article-title":"Scaling of brain and body weight within modern and fossil hominids: implications for the Flores specimen","volume":"42","author":"Schoenemann PT","year":"2006","journal-title":"Am J Phys Anthropol Suppl"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_95_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.1330770117"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_96_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.20880"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_97_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2006.07.010"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_98_1","first-page":"30","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Thorne A","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_99_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-7580.2008.00865.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_100_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1147143"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_101_1","first-page":"3","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Tuttle RH","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_102_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2008.08.015"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_103_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Homo floresiensis as an island form","volume":"5","author":"Van Heteren AH","year":"2008","journal-title":"PalArch's J Vert Palaeontol"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_104_1","first-page":"95","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Van Heteren AH","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_105_1","first-page":"172","volume-title":"Asian perspectives on human evolution","author":"Van Heteren AH","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_106_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/9783110810691.303"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_107_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1114789"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_108_1","first-page":"205","article-title":"Morphology of Solo man","volume":"43","author":"Weidenreich F","year":"1951","journal-title":"Anthropol Pap Am Mus Nat Hist"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_109_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2009.01.007"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_110_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhevol.2009.01.004"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_111_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature07922"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_112_1","first-page":"54","volume-title":"Proceedings from the International Seminar on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology: recent advances on Southeast Asian Paleoanthropology and Archaeology","author":"Zeitoun V","year":"2007"}],"container-title":["American Journal of Physical Anthropology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/api.wiley.com\/onlinelibrary\/tdm\/v1\/articles\/10.1002%2Fajpa.21255","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/ajpa.21255","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,22]],"date-time":"2023-11-22T00:59:01Z","timestamp":1700614741000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/ajpa.21255"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2010,3,12]]},"references-count":111,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,6]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/ajpa.21255"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ajpa.21255","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0002-9483","1096-8644"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0002-9483","type":"print"},{"value":"1096-8644","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2010,3,12]]}}}