Scientists have uncovered stone tools on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island that date back approximately 1.5 million years, suggesting the presence of the oldest known Wallacean hominids in Southeast Asia. This discovery challenges previous understandings of human colonization in the region and may provide insights into the origins of the so-called "hobbits," an archaic human species. Concurrently, researchers in Ethiopia have examined 13 fossilized teeth aged between 2.6 and 2.8 million years, which indicate the existence of a previously unidentified species within the Australopithecus genus. This potential seventh species appears to have coexisted with early members of the Homo genus, adding complexity to the human evolutionary lineage and reshaping scientific perspectives on human origins.