The article reports the discovery of a new small-bodied hominin species, *Homo floresiensis*, from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia. The species, named *Homo floresiensis*, is characterized by a stature and endocranial volume similar to or smaller than those of *Australopithecus afarensis*. The most complete specimen, LB1, was found in 2003 and includes a cranium, mandible, and partial skeleton. The combination of primitive and derived features suggests that *Homo floresiensis* is a distinct species, likely resulting from long-term isolation and endemic dwarfing of an ancestral *Homo erectus* population. The discovery challenges the traditional view that only one hominin genus, *Homo*, was present in Pleistocene Asia and highlights the morphological diversity and adaptability of the genus *Homo*. The authors propose that *Homo floresiensis* may have been a toolmaker and suggests that further discoveries of endemic hominin species may be found in other isolated regions.The article reports the discovery of a new small-bodied hominin species, *Homo floresiensis*, from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia. The species, named *Homo floresiensis*, is characterized by a stature and endocranial volume similar to or smaller than those of *Australopithecus afarensis*. The most complete specimen, LB1, was found in 2003 and includes a cranium, mandible, and partial skeleton. The combination of primitive and derived features suggests that *Homo floresiensis* is a distinct species, likely resulting from long-term isolation and endemic dwarfing of an ancestral *Homo erectus* population. The discovery challenges the traditional view that only one hominin genus, *Homo*, was present in Pleistocene Asia and highlights the morphological diversity and adaptability of the genus *Homo*. The authors propose that *Homo floresiensis* may have been a toolmaker and suggests that further discoveries of endemic hominin species may be found in other isolated regions.