LITTLE SPECIES, BIG MYSTERY by Debbie Argue

Only one kind of human lives on Earth today: us. But not so long ago, we shared the planet with others.

In 2004, the world was stunned by the discovery of Homo floresiensis in Indonesia. Small in size but big in mystery, this unique human species lived on the island of Flores as recently as 52,500 years ago, alongside our own ancestors. A very short, thickset being, with long arms and big feet and an appetite for pygmy elephants – yet was itself prey to giant storks – it was soon nicknamed ‘the hobbit’.

In Little Species, Big Mystery, archaeologist Debbie Argue takes readers deep into the story of Flores Man: the dramatic discovery, the excavations that followed, and the debates that continue to challenge what we thought we knew about human history. She also connects Flores with other recent finds in Southeast Asia, revealing a region rich in clues to humanity’s forgotten past.

Exciting, accessible, and full of scientific intrigue, this is the definitive guide to one of Indonesia’s greatest discoveries.

About the author

Debbie Argue is a specialist in human evolution and an archaeologist. She is an honorary associate professor in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University, Canberra. Argue has studied collections of million-year-old fossil hominin bones in museums in Africa, Europe and Indonesia and has contributed to books and written articles for Cosmos, Popular Anthropology and Science Breaker.

Praise

‘Debbie Argue takes us on a journey of thrilling scientific discovery. Argue conveys the excitement of searching for and finding clues to a lost past.’ Australian National University

‘The most attractive part of this study is its comprehensivity … Argue’s usefulness as a reporter … Her enthusiasm for the task is unhidden and adds to the excitement of the moment. A delightful book.’ Queensland Reviewers Collective

Paperback 9781915310644
Ebook 9781915310651
Extent 288pp
Category Nonfiction