New Insights on Hobbit Evolution

The discovery of a 700,000-year-old tiny arm bone on the Indonesian island of Flores reveals that the ancient human species, Homo floresiensis, were even smaller than previously believed. The bone, along with teeth found at the Mata Menge site, suggests these 'hobbits' stood just one meter tall, smaller than the 1.06 meters estimated from earlier fossils. This supports the theory that Homo floresiensis evolved from a larger ancestor, Homo erectus, which shrank in size after becoming isolated on the island. The findings contribute significantly to the debate on the evolutionary origins of these diminutive hominins.