Homo Flores! NOT!!!!

When Australian scientists up in Java discovered the remains of another species of Homo - Homo Flores - I was struck immediately by an urge to see for myself The Pygmies of North Queensland.

Do you know about this? That there's a small tribe of pygmies who used to live in the Daintree Rain-forest who are completely different from the Ma-mu tribes of the area AND from the Melanesians who inhabit the Torres Strait Islands?

Anyway, I kinda wondered if they too were a remnant population of Homo Flores.


Well, this holiday, I had an answer:

Stanley's mum and Stanley.

There's the answer. No! Definitely NOT Homo Flores. Double-click for a close look.From their faces, I'd say they're a lost tribe of Papuans, and the fact that they've grown at least a foot in height since they left the jungles in the 1960s, means that their previous extreme shortness was due to a vitamin deficiency because they weren't familiar with the different-from-PNG bush-foods in the area.

But what are Papuans doing in the jungles of NQ? Wouldn't it be fascinating to hear their Old Stories.


And if you want to check out the resemblance, such as it is, for yourself, here's photos of a visiting PNG dance troupe.

Not a pygmy among them!

Their faces: (but please also note their great costumes!)

Adore that "traditional" nail polish!

And finally, a gratutious "nice bums" shot:

Really nice bums!