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The littlest humans

The archaeologists who found the remains of Homo floresiensis on the Indonesian island of Flores predict there are other species to be found on a nearby island. The team, led by Professor Mike Morwood of the University of New England, will begin a search in Sulawesi early next year.

In a review of the find in yesterday's Science, Professor Jared Diamond, of the University of California, says it is unlikely our species mated with the "micropygmies" on Flores for the same reasons we don't have sex with chimpanzees. They would have been "too unlike humans to appeal sexually", and too unpredictable and dangerous to make the liaison a safe proposition.