Ancestral Remains of Mysterious ‘Hobbit’ Species Uncovered on Indonesian Island
Source: Gizmodo
Ancestral Remains of Mysterious ‘Hobbit’ Species Uncovered on Indonesian Island
George Dvorsky
46 minutes ago Filed to: ARCHAEOLOGY
Bones and teeth belonging to the ancestors of the short-statured human lineage known as “the Hobbits” have been discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores. The fossils, which date back 700,000 years, are offering fresh insights into the origin of this mysterious species.
In two new papers in Nature, researchers from Australia’s University of Wollongong describe the fossilized remains of three small-bodied hominins thought to be the distant ancestors of Homo floresiensis, an extinct species of ancient human popularly known as the “Hobbits.” The fossils, which include an adult mandible and several teeth, are the first skeletal remains to be discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores outside of Liang Bua—the cave in which paleoanthropologists discovered the original Hobbit remains.
These ancient humans were brought to the world’s attention when the remains of a single adult individual—who would have stood a mere 3½ feet tall—were discovered on Flores in 2003. Since then, another nine specimens have been recovered, including one complete skull. These remains date back to between 95,000 and 50,000 years ago and belong to an entirely new species of nascent humans, one dubbed Homo floresiensis.
Scientists have speculated that their miniaturized characteristics were the result of insular dwarfism, which happens to animals that have become isolated on small islands with limited access to food. This evolutionary process caused the bodies and brains of these early humans to shrink down in size, but they retained their ability to stand upright and use basic stone tools.
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Read more: http://gizmodo.com/ancestral-remains-of-mysterious-hobbit-species-uncove-1781257770
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Related:
• Homo floresiensis-like fossils from the early Middle Pleistocene of Flores (Nature)
• Age and context of the oldest known hominin fossils from Flores (Nature)
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Source: Smithsonian.com
The “Hobbit” Lineage May Be Much Older Than Previously Thought
By Maya Wei-Haas
smithsonian.com
23 minutes ago
The “hobbits’” epic venture may have just gotten a lot longer.
The tale begins 700,000 years ago in the tropical grasslands on Flores Island, Indonesia. Volcanoes smolder in the distance and freshwater streams cut through the planes where komodo dragons, giant rats, and pygmy Stegodon, an extinct elephant cousin, roam. Now, researchers think that the pint-sized early humans known to scientists as Homo floresiensis may have been part of this fray.
In two studies published this week in the journal Nature, scientists announce the discovery of six teeth and an adult jaw fragment collected from central Flores that date back 700,000 years—over half of a million years earlier than previous estimates.
Scientists first uncovered traces of H. floresiensis while excavating the Liang Bua cave in 2003. Standing just three and a half feet tall and sporting a mash-up of both ancient and modern features, the fossils ignited a debate about where the “hobbits” came from and how they fit into the human family tree.
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Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/articles/hobbit-lineage-may-be-much-older-previously-thought-180959347/?no-ist
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