The news of an unusual hominid foot bone was first announced at the IPPA Congress last year, raising the possibility of a hobbit-like hominids inhabiting the Philippines 67,000 years ago. Now, a paper has been published in the Journal of Human Evolution about the intriguing foot bone, identified as human, but also fitting within the size range of the Homo floresiensis and Homo habilis as well. The location of the find suggests that human seafaring was already existing 60,000-70,000 years ago.

New evidence for a 67,000-year-old human presence at Callao Cave, Luzon, Philippines
Journal of Human Evolution, doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.04.008

Mystery seafaring ancestor found in the Philippines
New Scientist, 03 June 2010
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