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Originally published in Science Express on 3 March 2005
Science 8 April 2005:
Vol. 308. no. 5719, pp. 242 - 245
DOI: 10.1126/science.1109727
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Reports

The Brain of LB1, Homo floresiensis

Dean Falk,1* Charles Hildebolt,2 Kirk Smith,2 M. J. Morwood,3 Thomas Sutikna,4 Peter Brown,3 Jatmiko,4 E. Wayhu Saptomo,4 Barry Brunsden,2 Fred Prior2

The brain of Homo floresiensis was assessed by comparing a virtual endocast from the type specimen (LB1) with endocasts from great apes, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens, a human pygmy, a human microcephalic, specimen number Sts 5 (Australopithecus africanus), and specimen number WT 17000 (Paranthropus aethiopicus). Morphometric, allometric, and shape data indicate that LB1 is not a microcephalic or pygmy. LB1's brain/body size ratio scales like that of an australopithecine, but its endocast shape resembles that of Homo erectus. LB1 has derived frontal and temporal lobes and a lunate sulcus in a derived position, which are consistent with capabilities for higher cognitive processing.

1 Department of Anthropology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
2 Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
3 Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia.
4 Indonesian Centre for Archaeology, JI. Raya Condet Pejaten No. 4, Jakarta 12001, Indonesia.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dfalk{at}fsu.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)