Ghost of a flea

As reported last year, Professor Teuku Jacob, of Gadjah Mada University, grabbed the remains of the seven creatures - dubbed "hobbits" - and locked them in his safe, refusing to let other scientists study them. He was not in the Australian-Indonesian team that found the bones, but was given them by an Indonesian team member.

Professor Jacob told the Australian press that he would return the bones on January 1. But The Age has learnt he has not done so and does not plan to.