Prehistoric human relatives known as Homo floresiensis, famously nicknamed “hobbits” for their small stature, may have been scavengers instead of the skilled hunters previously envisioned by researchers. New findings suggest these hominins, who stood about 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall and possessed brains only slightly larger than a chimpanzee, were not as advanced as once thought. The study, published Friday in the journal Science Advances, challenges the long-standing belief that these creatures used stone tools to hunt big game or utilized fire for cooking.
Paleoanthropologist Dr. Elizabeth Grace Veatch, a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, led the investigation into how the species survived on the Indonesian island of Flores between 190,000 and 50,000 years ago. While previous excavations at Liang Bua cave uncovered stone tools alongside the bones of Stegodon florensis insularis—an extinct, bison-sized elephant relative—this new analysis suggests the hobbits were actually scavenging leftovers from the island’s primary predator, the Komodo dragon.
To test this theory, researchers visited Zoo Atlanta to observe a Komodo dragon named Rinca feeding on a goat carcass. By using 3D scanning to compare the bite marks left by the lizard on the goat bones with cut marks on Stegodon fossils from Liang Bua, the team found striking similarities. The study concluded that Homo floresiensis likely waited for Komodo dragons to kill the 1,260-pound herbivores before moving in to strip remaining meat from the carcasses. The researchers wanted to see whether the markings on the stegodon bones showed evidence that the hobbits were also hunting the only large-bodied herbivore on the island at the time. The stegodon weighed about 1,260 pounds (570 kilograms) and stood roughly 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder. The researchers noted that the hobbits would have been safe from the dragon’s venom, as stomach enzymes can break down the proteins found in the lizard’s bite.
The study also addressed the question of fire usage. After analyzing 4,500 rodent bones found in the cave, researchers found no evidence of charring, nor was there any sign of fire on the Stegodon remains. The team believes any burned bones discovered in higher sediment layers were likely left by Homo sapiens who inhabited the area much later, around 46,000 years ago. Coauthor Briana Pobiner suggests that these early hominins likely survived on a diet of raw meat, plants, and insects, while maintaining a wary distance from the island’s dangerous reptiles.
These findings have significant implications for the human evolutionary tree, according to outside experts like Dr. Chris Stringer of London’s Natural History Museum. The evidence supports the theory that Homo floresiensis may not be a dwarfed version of Homo erectus, but rather a descendant of a more primitive group similar to Homo habilis or Australopithecus that reached the island over 1 million years ago. Dr. Thomas Sutikna, who has led research at Liang Bua since 2001, noted that continued investigation is essential for understanding the unique ecological role and ancestry of these prehistoric relatives.
