Fossils suggest early human ‘hobbits’ had ancestors who were even smaller

Fossils remains suggest an early human species nicknamed “hobbits” had ancestors who were even shorter, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature. The extinct Homo floresiensis were named after the Indonesian island of Flores where they roamed, though scientists also refer to them as hobbits after the “Lord of the Rings” characters.
Fossils suggest early human ‘hobbits’ had ancestors who were even smaller

Fossils remains suggest an early human species nicknamed “hobbits” had ancestors who were even shorter, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature.

The extinct Homo floresiensis were named after the Indonesian island of Flores where they roamed, though scientists also refer to them as hobbits after the “Lord of the Rings” characters. Fossils that were discovered on the island 20 years ago and date back 60,000 to 100,000 years suggested the species was about 3½ feet tall.

Researchers who studied fragments of a humerus, or upper arm bone, that were found on the same island in 2013 now say earlier relatives were 2.4 inches shorter and existed since at least 700,000 years ago.

“It is the smallest adult human arm bone ever,” said Gerrit van den Bergh, a co-author of the study and a paleontologist at the University of Wollongong, Australia. “It’s quite special.”

It took researchers almost a decade to deduce the height from the 3.5-inch bone, which was excavated about 45 miles away from the original Liang Bua cave site, and to be sure it was that of an adult, not a child.

“It was broken in many pieces,” Bergh said.

Image:
The Mata Menge humerus fragment, left, at the same scale as the humerus of Homo floresiensis from the Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia. Yousuke Kaifu / University of Tokyo via AP

Homo floresiensis arrived on the island almost a million years ago, he said, but quickly evolved to be smaller and eventually went extinct.

While scientists have no definitive answer for why their bodies reduced in size, Bergh said, clues can be found in the area’s fauna.

Animals on the island, such as elephants, underwent similar evolutionary changes, he said, possibly because of the limited food supply.

“If you have a population that quickly grows and depletes their food resources,” he said, “you get a population crash.”

In the face of food shortages, smaller individuals have a better chance of surviving, “so there’s a selective pressure towards a smaller size,” he added.

While the origin of Homo floresiensis has long been the subject of dispute, the authors of the new study say it supports the theory that they descended from Homo erectus, one of the first recognizable humanlike species. Bergh said the anatomy of the tiny arm bone, as well as two fossilized teeth found along with it, is similar to that of Homo erectus.

But a big question still looms, he said: How did the diminutive species end up marooned on an island?

“Probably a freak event, we don’t know, but I don’t think they made boats at that time,” he said. “On the mainland they can move, but on an island, they’re stuck. So they have to adapt to changing climates.”

,

Total
0
Shares
Leave a Reply
Related Posts

Kamala Harris’ fracking ban comes under fire in Pennsylvania as veep tries to reverse course: ‘Out of step’

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Vice President Kamala Harris’ inconsistent position on a hydraulic fracking ban is threatening to undermine her electability in oil-rich Pennsylvania. “There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking,” the then-presidential candidate told a climate activist at a CNN town hall in 2019. Senate candidate Dave McCormick and other Pennsylvania Republicans have
Nine years after coming to the crossroads, Morton reaches 2,000 K’sNine years after coming to the crossroads, Morton reaches 2,000 K’s
Read More

Nine years after coming to the crossroads, Morton reaches 2,000 K’sNine years after coming to the crossroads, Morton reaches 2,000 K’s

Nine years after coming to the crossroads, Morton reaches 2,000 K's 6:08 AM UTC Mark Bowman @mlbbowman Share share-square-618150 SAN FRANCISCO -- More than two decades since being part of the same Braves’ Draft class that included Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur, Charlie Morton is a proud member of baseball’s exclusive 2,000 strikeout club. Morton
Trump-Harris Swing State Polls: Harris Leads By 1 Point Overall In Battlegrounds, Latest Survey Finds
Read More

Trump-Harris Swing State Polls: Harris Leads By 1 Point Overall In Battlegrounds, Latest Survey Finds

Forbes Business Breaking Trump-Harris Swing State Polls: Harris Leads By 1 Point Overall In Battlegrounds, Latest Survey Finds Sara Dorn Forbes Staff Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics. Following Jul 31, 2024, 09:43am EDT Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Former President Donald Trump has lost his