A recent discovery of a jawbone, a fragment of an arm bone, and several teeth at an archaeological site in Indonesia has unveiled a small human ancestor nicknamed a “hobbit” that roamed the earth approximately 700,000 years ago.
This “hobbit,” inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series, is thought to be even more diminutive than a previously identified descendant from 60,000 to 100,000 years ago, who was about 3-foot-6 tall.
The new remains were unearthed at a site named Mata Menge on the Indonesian island of Flores, situated 45 miles from where the earlier, larger hobbit fossils were discovered two decades ago.
Initially, the arm bone fragment, which measures only 3½ inches, was mistakenly categorized as a potential crocodile bone.
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This image, provided by Yousuke Kaifu, showcases an arm bone fragment uncovered on the Indonesian island of Flores. New research indicates that early human ancestors nicknamed “hobbits” were even smaller in stature. (Yousuke Kaifu via AP)
The fragment signifies an ancient human ancestor that likely measured about 3-foot-3 tall, which is roughly three inches shorter than its larger hobbit descendant.
Since the discovery of Homo floresiensis, the taller “hobbit,” in 2003, researchers have been curious about its origins.
“We didn’t anticipate encountering smaller individuals from such an ancient site,” stated study co-author Yousuke Kaifu from the University of Tokyo, whose research findings were published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, according to the Associated Press.
The bone signifies an ancestor of humans that was probably about three inches shorter than the later “hobbit” descendant, measuring approximately 3 feet, 3 inches in height. (AP)
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Dean Falk, an evolutionary anthropologist at Florida State University, commented that the findings have “convincingly demonstrated that these were exceptionally small individuals.”
The Mata Menge archaeological site on Flores Island in Indonesia, where the bone fragment was discovered. (Gerrit van den Bergh via AP)
Researchers speculate that the hobbit may have evolved from the slightly taller Homo erectus or may stem from a more primitive human lineage.
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“This question remains open and will be an area of ongoing investigation for the foreseeable future,” said anthropologist Matt Tocheri from Lakehead University in Canada, as reported by the AP.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
