NEW FINDINGS REVEAL INSIGHTS INTO “HOBBIT” EVOLUTION

Why in the news?

Recent discovery of tiny arm bones and teeth suggests Homo floresiensis, or “hobbits,” evolved to a smaller size due to island dwarfism after arriving on Flores Island 700,000 years ago.

NEW FINDINGS REVEAL INSIGHTS INTO "HOBBIT" EVOLUTION - UPSCsource:slideplayer

About the New Discovery on Homo Floresiensis:

  • Findings: A tiny arm bone and teeth from Homo floresiensis were found on Flores Island, Indonesia.
  • Implications: These discoveries suggest that the hobbits, previously thought to be about 1.06 metres tall, were only around 1 metre tall 700,000 years ago.

Theories on Size Reduction:

  • Island Dwarfism: The new evidence supports the theory that Homo floresiensis evolved to a smaller size due to island dwarfism.
  • Debate: One theory is that hobbits descended from an already small hominin. Another posits that Homo erectus, which was larger, evolved into the smaller Homo floresiensis after becoming isolated on the island.

Research and Impact:

  • Significance: The arm bone is the smallest adult hominin humerus ever found, providing key insights into human evolution.
  • Further Research: The study supports the idea that Homo erectus might have reached Flores by crossing deep-sea barriers, possibly via accidental rafting.
Key Facts about  Homo floresiensis (“The Hobbit”):

  • Discovery Date: 2003
  • Location: Flores Island, Indonesia
  • Lived: ~100,000 – 50,000 years ago
  • Height: ~106 cm (3 ft 6 in)
  • Weight: ~30 kg (66 lbs)

Physical Characteristics:

  • Small brain, large teeth, no chin
  • Short legs with relatively large feet
  • Shrugged-forward shoulders, receding foreheads

Survival and Tools:

  • Used stone tools, hunted small elephants and large rodents
  • Evidence of fire usage and predator coping (giant Komodo dragons)
  • Possible island dwarfism due to isolation and limited resources

Discovery and Research:

  • First skeleton (LB-1) found in Liang Bua cave
  • Additional remains of up to 12 individuals discovered
  • Tools date back to 190,000 – 50,000 years ago

About Flores Island, Indonesia

  • Location and Size: Flores is a long, narrow island in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, covering 5,500 sq miles (14,250 sq km).
  • Geography: Mountainous with Mandasawu Peak (7,900 ft), several active volcanoes, and the historically significant Mount Kelimutu.
  • Volcanic Activity: 1974 eruption of Mount Iya altered Mount Kelimutu’s lakes’ colours.
  • Vegetation: Tropical deciduous forest, savanna, previously home to a giant lizard.
  • Population and Culture: Mixed Malay-Papuan ancestry, diverse coastal settlers, animist majority, with some Muslims and Christians.
  • Architecture: Western houses are terraced, eastern houses are smaller, single-family units.
  • Economy: Shifting cultivation, maize, coconuts, and coffee; limited genuine forest.
  • History: Tributary to Celebes princes, Dutch control established in 1909; road completed in 1926.