Negrito News
2004
Shenanigans around the discovery of Homo floresiensis
The discovery of an extinct dwarf people (popularly known as "Hobbits") on Flores island, Indonesia, in September 2003 was one of the most important and surprising finds in the history of palaeoanthropology. For details see Homo floresiensis.
What has only now come to light is a story of shenanigans that would be funny if the attempts at suppressing evidence had not been so serious and concerning such an important find. It shows an urgent need for a new generation of palaeoanthropologist to take over in one of the world's most important treasure houses of mankind's common past.
The main actor in the story is retired Prof. Teuku Jacob (formerly of Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta where, despite his retirement, he is still very influential). He was born 6 Dec 1929, trained as a medical doctor and became a hero of the Indonesian war of liberation against the Dutch and Japanese occupations before and during World War 2. After the war he received degrees in anthropology in the US and in the Netherlands. From the 1970s onwards, his laboratory at Gaja Mada University in Yogyakarta on Java was the centre of Indonesian palaeoanthropological studies. Teuku Jacob is undoubtedly a man of enormous courage and strong patriotic sentiments - making it all the more surprising that he has repeatedly acted and is still acting in a way seemingly designed to cause maximum damage to his science and his beloved country's reputation.
As Peter Brown, one of the Indonesian-Australian team that discovered Homo floresiensis, notes:
Professor Jacob, I think, has a history of keeping fossil materials to himself, collecting materials, retain them in his collection and making it difficult for anybody else to have access to them. Professor Jacob was not part of the excavation team, not part of the research team, not part of the publication team, and not part of either of the institutions involved in the cross-institutional agreement. He had no connection at all, which makes him going and collecting the material and removing them extremely bizarre.
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Prof. Teuku Jacob in 1992 pointing out where the skull of the famous
Mojokerto child was supposedly found. The real place of discovery turned
out later to have been somewhere else (for details of this involved story
see Swisher C.C. et al. 2000. "Java Man", University of Chicago
Press). |
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Mojokerto child (a Homo erectus dated to around 1.8 million years old) was found in 1936 by Andoyo, an employee of the Dutch Geological Survey (shown here working at his desk in the 1930s) |
So, without having seen the fossils or without any involvement in their discovery, Jacob from his retirement pronounced the first individual found to be "microcephalic" (abnormally small-headed, diseased). In the mantime, more individuals of Homo floresiensis have been analysed, all similarly tiny. An entire race of diseased dwarves, apparently. The "microcephalic fallacy" has now also been demolished on anatomical grounds.
Prof. Jacob has been called "an extremely proud individual, extremely sensitive to hints of colonialism" (ref. Dalton R. 2005. "Looking for the ancestors." Nature 434:432-434). This proud individual has had a firm grip (some would call it a stranglehold) on Indonesian palaeoanthropology for decades. There is nothing wrong with being proud nor in having a firm grip -except that Jacobs is such a firm adherent of the "multiple-origin" theory of human origins that he has not only refused evidence even slightly threatening his cherished theory, he has actively obstructed research by withholding evidence that does not fit his theory. In the case of Homo floresiensis he has removed remainsss and only partially returned them (badly damaged) after a horribly embarrassed Indonesian government put considerable pressure on him. That his cherished theory has come under increasing pressure from recent findings (not least from the discovery of the "Hobbits") might explain the professor's increasingly irrational behaviour. It does not excuse it.
In protecting his favourite theory, Prof. Jacobs has certainly gone to extreme and quite shown in Swisher C.C. et al. 2000. "Java Man", University of Chicago Press. Prof. Jacob has received the following unusual entry in the index: "Jacobs T., obstructive behaviour of, 86-89".
The result of decades of such obstructive behaviour towards all who are not in complete agreement with him is a growing frustration among younger Indonesian researchers suffering from a "regime of opinionated veterans".
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The damage done while Homo floresiensis bones were in Prof. Jacob's care:
Left: the Flores hominid pelvis before and after transport to
prof. Jacob. Photographs courtesy Culotta E. 2005. "Discoverers charge damage
to 'Hobbit' Specimens." Science 307:1848 (25 March
2005) In November 2004 retired Prof. Teuku Jacob, without permission, took the partly fossilized bones from their repository in Jakarta to his lab in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 275 miles away. What followed was a standoff that set an older generation of Indonesian and Australian paleontologists against younger scientists. Jacob, 75, is considered Indonesia's most prominent paleontologist, a role with added status in a country that reveres age and seniority. On the other side is the team of scientists that is based at the Indonesian Center for Archaeology but whose work is funded by the Australian Research Council. Aside from four leg bones that remain in Jacob's custody, the fossils were returned on 23 Feb 2005. The team charges that the remains were severely damaged by rubber molds made at Jacob's lab:
"We have a big dispute with Professor Jacob," says Tony Djubiantono, chief of the archaeology center and co-leader of the team. "We didn't give him permission to do any of these things." The return of the bones to the Jakarta center is cloaked in mystery, says discovery team member Richard Roberts of Australia's University of Wollongong. The team believes the government intervened. Paleoanthropologist Harry Widianto of the Yogyakarta Archaeology Agency was sent to get the bones. When he got them to his own lab before shipping them to Jakarta, Widianto says, "We opened the packages and saw the mandibles (jaws) were damaged." In a phone conversation with USA TODAY, Jacob said he would respond to the charges by e-mail. In that e-mail, he acknowledges that molds were made in his lab to create display casts but denies that the bones were damaged there. "If some breakage took place on any bone, it must be during the transport in Yogyakarta or from Yogyakarta to Jakarta," Jacob says. "Both mandibles were intact until the last minute in our lab, as proven by photographs taken on the last days." He did not respond to a request for the photos. |
We let the professor have the last word and wish him a long and happy retirement:
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from the Indonesian journal Kompas, 15 Dec 2004
Conflict from Flores: Storm in a Teacup by Teuku Jacob
In the last two months, the international media had been clamouring over Flores man, acclaimed as a new species and considered as the most important human fossil discovery in the last 50 years. The news had been so spectacular, for it was announced in Nature, a prominent scientific journal based in London. Newspaper, radio, and television journalists pounced at the announcement and added sensational bits to the story. For the sake of publicity the Australian scientists disregard their government's travel warning. The discovery comes from archaeological excavations in the limestone cave of Liang Bua ('Cold Cave') in west Flores by a joint Indonesian--Australian team from the Indonesian Centre of Archaeological Research and the University of New England, under the coordination of Prof. Soejono and Dr. Morwood. The former is a senior Indonesian prehistorical archaeologist and the latter is an Australian expert of prehistoric cave paintings. The fossils (subfossils) were studied directly by Australian physical anthropologist Dr. Brown and indirectly by English palaeoanthropologist Dr. Stringer, from data sent by Brown. Their conclusion from one studied specimen is to propose a new species, "Homo floresiensis", which had close affinities with Homo habilis of 3--4Ma (mega-annum, millions of years) which lived in East Africa. In the proposed evolutionary tree, "H. floresiensis" is the direct descendant of H. habilis and underwent evolutionary insular dwarfing, hence its small head, half the size of the chimpanzee brain, and small stature of 1 metre. It is capable of making stone tools in the form of flakes and blades. There are several designations for its antiquity (13Ka, 18Ka, 36Ka, and 95Ka; Ka=kilo-annum, thousands of years), obtained by several dating methods. A lot of experts doubt the reliability of the OSL method. Therefore it is no surprise that palaeoanthropologists, archaeologists, anatomists, anthropologists and Quarternary geologists were shocked. Creationists, those who were against the theory of evolution and holding on to their literal interpretation of the Bible (Protestant creationists) and the Quran (Islamic creationists) used the opportunity to launch an attack to the evolutionists, whom they consider to interpret the finding by their own whim. The emerging scepticism is not without reason. There are seven skeletons discovered (probably more, since there are other unprepared bones in the matrix), but the discoverers had only studied one of them to make their conclusions. The LB1 skeleton was designated as the holotype, the hypodigm over which the paradigm stands. Why was it compared against H. habilis specimens that is so far separated from it in time and space? Why not compare it with other findings from Liang Toge, Liang Momer, or Liang Panas (other cave sites in Flores)? Is evolution reversible: can the brain get smaller, and then larger again? Does the similarities with Homo erectus imply a close affinity with the mentioned species? Is it not a case of microencephaly (small brain) causing the forehead to be not filled? The pentagonal shape of the skull implies a small cerebellum; is this not caused by an underdevelopment of the cerebral skin and cerebellar parts? Is micrognathy (reduction of jaw) not the cause of the unreduced dentition and the unprotruding lower part of the mandible? The dentition clearly shows that the specimen belongs to Homo sapiens, with features such as agenesis (unrooted), rotation and close-packing of the teeth, whilst archaic features are not shown. The Laboratory of Bio- and Palaeoanthropology at Universitas Gajah Mada has worked together with the Indonesian Centre of Archaeological Research since the 1960s. Palaeoanthropological materials were usually sent to Yogyakarta and archaeological finds sent to Jakarta. The cooperation went well all the time without any disturbance. Later a radiometry laboratory was built in Bandung. Skeletons from archaeological digs sent to Yogyakarta comes from all over the islands, from Sumatera to Irian. The Yogyakarta lab focuses on Middle Pleistocene human fossils although there are some older and younger material. We kept almost a third of all H. erectus fossils in the world, and many people earned their degrees studying them here. However, not many Indonesians are interested because this field is outcompeted by faster tracks to materialistic success. Researchers from the Yogyakarta lab has not actually been involved with the Liang Bua excavation. The author had once done some research on fossil humans from Flores caves stored in the Netherlands, which are the discoveries of Pater Verhoeven at the 1950s, and colleagues from the Yogyakarta lab once studied specimens from Liang Bua, excavated by Dr. Soejono from 1978 to 1989. The involvement of the Yogya lab with the 2003--2004 Liang Bua discoveries began when before Ramadan of 1424 H Prof Soejono asked for the team to study the LB1 skull. I was ill and bedridden at that time, but from the photo shown the skull appeared like an infrahuman primate; however it was still partly encased in its matrix and not photographed by anthropological standards. In July this year, Prof Soejono approached us again, asking to collect the discoveries, and the head of the Centre of Archaeological Research would provide funds for transport. I agree that younger and hard-won researchers should get the opportunity to study the new findings, instead of leaving it to foreign researchers. There is some irony when an Australian expert, whom Prof. Soejono had only known for several years, asked him whether the author, whom Prof. Soejono had known for 40 years, is can be trusted. That chap needs to look into the mirror because the Yogya lab has been deceived three times. Australian journalists report that the Australian researchers were unhappy with the fossils being taken to Yogyakarta. Their counterparts also dislike the idea of the study being based in Yogyakarta. Foreign journalists, especially Australian, were informed, and I was barraged by cynical, naïve, and conspiracy-accusing questions concerning the acquisition of the bones: whether it will be returned, will it be worth studying, would other people be allowed to see it, whether I was the only person disagreeing with its designation as a new species, why it is not studied in Jakarta, whether this is a turf war between scientists, and others. It should be noted that there are also many knowledgeable and objective people among the foreign journalists. Some of the questions show their shallow understanding of the field. Some does not understand the difference between archaeology and palaeoanthropology. Others thought that palaeoanthropological studies do not need supporting material as facilities for reconstruction and comparative material such as ape and modern human skeletons, fossils, relevant literature, and others. Threats and intimdation, even bribery and pressure will not make our Yogyakarta team budge. Research funding does not entitle that the donors may put their noses into the internal affairs of a country. There is no 'deputy sheriff' of archaeology for South East Asia that can push people around. I know that archaeological digs are prohibited in Australia because the native Australians consider their ancestors' graves as sacred, and many early findings had been reburied (I once was asked for help concerning this matter), therefore Australian archaeologists (which is continually produced) are forced to wander off to South East Asia (which is rich in ancient artefacts) and the south Pacific; so the turf war, if there is any such thing, is actually a turf conquest by latter-day conquistadors. If not for the long-term good relationship with the Centre of Archaeological Research, the Yogya team is content with our H. erectus fossil collection. Many foreign students had studied at the Yogya laboratorium before; therefore the accusation that our collection is off-limits is very upsetting. Since the fossils are now being studied it is obvious that it cannot be anywhere else; it should not be passed around. The loan is for research purposes and I respects the terms, which also specifies that it cannot be displayed at will. Important fossils are not normally shown off to every passing tourist; even research postgraduate students need recommendation from their professors to gain access. Important collections need curators that know how to take care of fossils and who should be allowed to study them. Those foreign journalists might want to try and ask if they can see and get their hands on human fossils stored in Western institutions. To get a balanced view, we should not just read Australian papers but inquire other sources. I received many phone calls, facsimiles, e-mails from around the world, including some from Australia which agrees with my opinion. There is one Australian who wanted to force us to return all archaeological human remains back to the Centre for Archaeological Research. These are quite a large lot, because it would include collections dating back to 1963. and they took a lot of space. See how he tries to pressurize us, claiming that he would get the Australian government involved. About the Liang Bua bones, our preliminary conclusions are as follows. Maybe two of them were actual insular dwarfs, as the dwarf Stegodon timorensis. At least one suffers from primary microcephaly, with microcrany, microencephaly, and micrognathy, which caused mental retardation, a disruption in brain growth especially on the forehead and cerebellum, giving a passing resemblance to H. erectus and H. ergaster skulls. The cranial capacity seems to be larger than what had been announced; we also obtained a larger height estimate than 106cm. I presume the Liang Bua fossils are related to the Liang Toge skull, which was considered a proto-Negrito by Verhoeven (although I do not agree with Verhoeven's designation). Establishing a new taxon is not easy. New species must be proposed on the basis that it is a different morphological and biological complex from other taxa, therefore implying reproductive isolation. Paleopathology remains an open option; other factors such as geochronology, archaeostratigraphy, and palaeodemography should also be considered. In closing, do not consider the discovery of the dwarf Flores man as irrelevant. There are microcephalic fossils from thousands and hundreds of years ago discovered in Europe and South America. The whole story of the Liang Bua findings had been blown out of proportion, creating a storm in a teacup. Prof. Tjia from Kuala Lumpur sent me a fax that said: I (and Mrs.) support Pak Jacob's actions. At least it will keep some of the "cultural adventurers" comments in check. Many among them are just eager to make "surprises"--whether correct or not--and they often consider local experts as incapable... Our people should be in control of the material...," Kompas in November quoted Prof. Moendarjito, Prof. Sedyawati, and Drs Arief Rahman the head of UNESCO Indonesia, as being concerned that the Flores findings will be transported to Australia. Teuku Jacob |
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Prof. Teuku Jacob's biography by Sri Wahyuni, Jakarta Post, 24 May 2003 Becoming a paleoanthropologist, a somewhat rare profession nowadays, had never been Teuku Jacob's childhood dream. In fact, Jacob did not find anthropology very interesting until he was a college student. Born in Peureulak, Aceh, on 6 Dec 1929, Jacob is a professor emeritus of anthropology at Gadjah Mada University. He heads the Laboratory of Bioanthropology and Paleoanthropology at the university's School of Medicine. Jacob came to terms with anthropology after studying anatomy while he was finishing his studies at Gadjah Mada University's School of Medicine (1950-1956). He continued his study of anthropology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona (1957-1958) and at Howard University graduate school in Washington D.C. (1958-1960), where he fell in love with the subject. "Anthropology is very important for Indonesia, especially because it is one of only few countries in the world where human skeletal remains of early man have been found," Jacob told The Jakarta Post. His hands-on study was done at Sangiran, a famous archeological site in the Central Java town of Sragen, some 15 km north of Surakarta. He began exploration work there in May 1962. He chose Sangiran because it was the nearest archeological site from Gadjah Mada University, where he was then teaching. Another reason for the choice was more of a financial one. A financial crisis was crippling Indonesia at that time; inflation was extremely high and transportation was a dire problem. He later found out that Sangiran, which covers an area of some 6 km by 8 km, was not only the country's widest but also Indonesia's richest archeological site. Jacob said that over 60 of an estimated 70 remains of prehistoric skeletons found in Central and East Java had been unearthed in Sangiran. The rest were discovered elsewhere in the same general area, such as Ngandong, Sambungmacan and Trinil. Apart from the finds, his team has also discovered hundreds of ancient stone tools and thousands of animal fossils over the last 40 years of excavations. Before Jacob began his excavation projects in Sangiran, other researchers had found the fossilized remains of 20 individuals but no stone tools had ever been found. "What we have found proves that Sangiran is the biggest archeological site ever found in the country," said Jacob, who received his doctoral degree in paleoanthropology from the Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands in 1968. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1996 named Sangiran a world heritage site, essential to the understanding of human evolution. During the early years of his excavation activities in Sangiran, Jacob usually went to the site once a week, with the university jeep. Sometimes he would spend up to two months on the site from the beginning to the end of a particular dig.At present, however, he only occasionally returns, usually to select a particular spot for further exploration or to see a new discovery."I let the younger people do the physical activities now," said Jacob, who has written more than 20 books on anthropology, culture, medical subjects and countless articles. The biggest Sangiran excavation project took place in 1964 for almost nine weeks. The most important finding was the discovery of a skull he code-named "Sangiran 10" in 1963. In 1973, he discovered a new archeological site in Sambungmacan village."My heartbeat quickened upon realizing that we found the first cheek bone of a prehistoric man in the country," Jacob said, adding that it was, in fact, in Sambungmacan that many remains had been found. The study of prehistoric people, according to Jacob, is very interesting although many tend to consider this particular science a limited field of study. "That's not true. The study on prehistoric people covers a wide range of subjects, such as their lifestyle, economy, environment, demography and so forth," he said. Jacob insists that people need to learn about the history of their origin, their ancestors so as to project their future. What people are facing at present is nothing but the result of the past and it will develop in the future. Only by studying about the past will people become more civilized. "No one can see exactly what will happen in the future, but we can make a better future by doing good things now," the lecturer said. "Working in this particular field of study is just like playing detective. We investigate, looking for the missing parts, reconstructing something based on what we have in our hands, and try to reveal what might be behind all the findings. In a criminal investigation a piece of hair can help solve a complicated murder case. In paleoanthropology, similarly, a piece of bone can reveal many things." On 15 Aug, Jacob received the Bintang Mahaputra Nararya award from the government in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the country's cultural promotion. In 1993, he received a gold medal from the Indian Boards of Alternative Medicine. He was also a recipient of the 1984 Researchers Award from the of Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) and in 1983 he received Paul Broca Medal from French Center for Scientific Research on anthropology. His important discoveries of fossils include, Homo erectus, Homo erectus palaeojavanicus, Homo sapiens (Sangiran archeological site), Homo erectus soloensis (Ngandong and Sambungmacan), Homo sapien (Trinil and Tamiang). |
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