Deborah Smith, "Hobbit' just a little man with small brain" (2005)

A scientist under fire for examining the so-called hobbit bones says the priceless remains will be returned to the Australian and Indonesian team that discovered them on Monday.

In a development that could spark another international scientific furore, Maciej Henneberg , of the Department of Anatomical Sciences at the University of Adelaide, also said about two grams of bone fragments from the tiny humans had been sent from Indonesia to the Max Planck Institute in Germany for DNA analysis.

Professor Henneberg dismissed criticism from Australian scientists that he should not have studied the remains while they were in the disputed possession of an Indonesian scientist, Teuku Jacob.

He said his 3-day examination of the skull and bones of the most complete specimen of Homo floresiensis had confirmed his opinion that it was not a "hobbit", but a modern human with a brain-shrinking deformity called microcephaly. "There is absolutely no doubt this person had a growth disorder."

Iain Davidson, professor of archaeology and palaeoanthropology at the University of New England, told the Herald on Thursday that he was extremely concerned Professor Henneberg and Alan Thorne, of the Australian National University, had examined the bones after Professor Jacob seized them.

"No scientist should have any truck with stolen remains," Professor Davidson said.

Professor Mike Morwood, of the University of New England, the leader of the team that found the remains of seven "hobbits" on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003 and 2004, and Professor Peter Brown, also of the University of New England, who described the new species of humans, are also furious about the actions of the two Australian researchers.

The bones were taken last December before they had been studied by the discovery team and any DNA extracted.

Professor Jacob, of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, reneged on an agreement to return them by January 1.

Professor Henneberg and Dr Thorne said they disagreed with Professor Morwood that Professor Jacob's actions had breached a legal agreement between the Australian and Indonesian research institutes.

They said the head of the Indonesian team, Professor Radien Soejono, had had the right to ask Professor Jacob's opinion, and he, in turn, theirs.

"Had Morwood had the sense to realise the national, intellectual and historical importance of Jacob, this whole mess might not have eventuated," Dr Thorne said.