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The discovery by Nasa's robotic rovers of a watery past on Mars has topped an eagerly awaited list of the 10 key scientific advances of 2004. Compiled each year by Science magazine, the list has always divided opinion, and this year's has proved no exception. The rovers triumphed in a strong field, including the discovery of a dwarf human species in Indonesia.Runner-up status went to the mind-boggling discovery that a dwarf species of human - dubbed "the Hobbit" by some - had survived on the Indonesian island of Flores until 13,000 years ago. The study, published in the rival journal Nature, had seemed a strong contender for the top spot.