A recent study has shed new light on the early human species Homo floresiensis, commonly known as "Hobbits," which were first discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores two decades ago. These early humans, who stood about 3.5 feet (1.07 meters) tall, are now believed to have had even smaller ancestors.
According to the study, published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, the ancestors of Homo floresiensis were around 1 meter (3.3 feet) tall and lived approximately 700,000 years ago. The findings come from the analysis of a tiny arm bone and teeth discovered at Mata Menge, a site located about 72 kilometers (45 miles) from the Liang Bua cave, where the first fossils of Homo floresiensis were unearthed.
Study lead author Yousuke Kaifu, from the University of Tokyo, expressed surprise at the discovery of even smaller individuals from such an ancient site. "We did not expect that we would find smaller individuals from such an old site," Kaifu told the Associated Press.
The discovery of the 88mm (3.5 inches) arm bone and other fossil evidence at Mata Menge provides new insights into the evolutionary history of these "Hobbit" humans, suggesting that their ancestors were already diminutive in stature long before the species was known to have existed. The research adds to our understanding of human evolution, particularly in isolated environments like Flores, where unique evolutionary paths can lead to the development of distinct species.
