▁discover ies ▁ ▁East ▁Tim or ▁C ave ▁O ' Con nor ▁led ▁a ▁research ▁expedition ▁which ▁discovered ▁a ▁cave ▁site ▁in ▁East ▁Tim or , ▁with ▁evidence ▁of ▁people ▁living ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 2 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁It ▁is ▁" the ▁oldest ▁evidence ▁of ▁occupation ▁by ▁modern ▁humans ▁on ▁the ▁islands ▁that ▁were ▁the ▁ste pping ▁stones ▁from ▁South - E ast ▁Asia ▁to ▁Australia ". ▁Prior ▁to ▁O ' Con nor ' s ▁research , ▁sch ol ars ▁believed ▁that ▁early ▁humans ▁migr ated ▁south ▁from ▁Mar itime ▁S out heast ▁Asia ▁to ▁Australia ▁by ▁travel ing ▁north wards ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁Bor neo ▁and ▁Sul aw esi , ▁and ▁then ▁south ▁through ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea . ▁With ▁the ▁new ▁research ▁find ings , ▁O ' Con nor ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁early ▁humans ▁tra ve led ▁south ▁from ▁Mar itime ▁S out heast ▁Asia ▁ ▁through ▁East ▁Tim or ▁to ▁Australia . ▁ ▁Can ine ▁domestic ation ▁in ▁East ▁Tim or ▁ ▁O ' Con nor ▁worked ▁on ▁a ▁team ▁that ▁conducted ▁research ▁on ▁a ▁dog ▁bur ial ▁found ▁at ▁Mat ja ▁Kur u ▁in ▁East ▁Tim or . ▁Their ▁find ings ▁suggest ▁that ▁humans ▁domestic ated ▁dogs ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁Analysis ▁of ▁the ▁remains ▁revealed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁morph ological ▁similar ities ▁between ▁modern - day ▁domestic ated ▁dogs ▁and ▁the ▁dog ▁found ▁at ▁the ▁bur ial ▁site . ▁O ' Con