Prehistoric human relatives, nicknamed ‘hobbits’ due to their short stature, may have been scavengers rather than skilled hunters. A new study suggests that Homo floresiensis, which had a brain only slightly bigger than that of a chimpanzee, wasn’t as advanced as scientists previously believed.
Research Findings
The study, which included a feeding experiment involving a Komodo dragon, found that the hobbits may have used their tools to scavenge raw Stegodon leftovers, rather than hunting the animals themselves. The researchers also found no evidence of fire use by Homo floresiensis, which challenges previous assumptions about the species’ abilities.
The discovery of Homo floresiensis fossils in the Liang Bua cave on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003 led to the initial assumption that the species was a skilled hunter. However, the new research suggests that the hobbits may have had a more simplistic behavioral repertoire, and may have been more closely related to a different early Homo species.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
