Homo floresiensis, also known as the “Hobbit,” is an extinct species of the genus Homo that lived from 93,000 to 12,000 years ago. They were only one meter tall and weighed 25 kg. Their remains were discovered on the island of Flores, Indonesia, and they were technologically sophisticated, with some researchers claiming they were capable of language. Some argue that their morphology is indistinguishable from those with Laron syndrome. Their artifacts disappeared 12,000 years ago, possibly due to a volcanic eruption.
Homo floresiensis, meaning “Man of Flores” or “Man of Flores,” is an extinct species of the genus Homo, a group made up of humans and our close relatives. Homo floresiensis is particularly interesting for several reasons. Nicknamed the “Hobbit,” Homo floresiensis averaged just one meter (3.3 feet) tall, substantially shorter than the average of any human ethnic group, and weighed just 25 kg (55 pounds). The description of the species is based on a single complete skeleton discovered in 2004 on the island of Flores in Indonesia, LB1, and fragmentary remains of eight other individuals. It was discovered by researchers looking for signs of early human migration to Australia.
In addition to its extremely small size, Homo floresiensis is notable for being the most recent human relative to go extinct: it lived from around 93,000 to just 12,000 years ago. This is 12,000 years more recent than the death of the last Neanderthals, which occurred in c. 24,000 years ago. Homo floresiensis may have survived into modern times, as evidenced by local tribal stories referencing dwarf peoples, and there’s even a small chance they are still alive today. Homo floresiensis may be a rare example of a cryptid (mysterious beast) that has been proven to exist.
Because the initial skeleton of Homo floresiensis was so surprisingly small for a human relative, there was initial suspicion that it was either a hoax or a person suffering from microcephaly, a medical condition that produces a small head and brain. However, subsequent follow-ups, including by the Smithsonian Institution, found that the skeleton was not a human with microcephaly and possesses a distinct wrist structure that would be expected from a proto-human, and would not be reflected in any type of sickness. human. However, although the consensus is that Homo floresiensis is a true proto-human, some researchers have argued that the morphology of Homo floresiensis is essentially indistinguishable from people suffering from a genetic disorder, Laron syndrome.
Excavations of Homo floresiensis campsites reveal a technologically sophisticated (for the Stone Age) society comparable in tool use to the early societies of modern humans. The discoverers of the first skeleton took the controversial step of claiming that Homo floresiensis was capable of language, based on its technological achievements. Since Flores was separated from the Southeast Asian mainland by a water channel, this species would have at least needed the ability to build rafts to cross it, although it is possible they were brought to Flores by humans.
Homo floresiensis artifacts at the initial excavation site go missing 12,000 years ago, when there was a major volcanic eruption on the island that is known to have wiped out the dwarf elephant Stegodon and other local fauna.
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