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Mounting evidence suggests 'hobbits' were wiped out by modern humans' ancestors

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K

Kalentan

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http://www.independent.ie/world-new...-out-by-modern-humans-ancestors-34844775.html

It may not yet be enough to convince a jury, but mounting evidence suggests ancestors of modern humans wiped out the world's only known population of hobbits.

A race of 3.5ft tall humans - known as "hobbits" - were using stone tools on the Indonesian island of Flores 50,000 years ago but then mysteriously vanished.

Scientists now believe modern Homo sapiens humans were using fire in the hobbits' cave at least 41,000 years ago.

The discovery of hearths in the Liang Bua cave indicates that hobbits and modern humans both occupied the site within 11,000 years of each other.

Researchers are searching for more evidence that will remove any remaining alibi modern humans might have.

If the two species came together at the same place and time it could explain the hobbits' extinction.

An international team of scientists uncovered the remains of a previously unknown species of small-statured human, Homo floresiensis, in Liang Bua cave in 2003.

Known as "hobbits" after the characters invented by Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkein, the creatures were originally thought to have lived as recently as 12,000 years ago.

Later experts dated the bones at between 190,000 and 60,000-years-old, while the most recent hobbit stone tools were thought to be 50,000 years old.

Although they used stone tools, there is no evidence that the hobbits had mastered fire. The hearth remains found in the cave were most likely left by modern humans, scientists said.

Lead researcher Dr Mike Morley, from the University of Wollongong in Australia, said: "We now know that the hobbits only survived until around 50,000 years ago at Liang Bua.

"We also know that modern humans arrived in Southeast Asia and Australia at least 50,000 years ago, and most likely quite a bit earlier.

"This new evidence, which is some of the earliest evidence of modern human activity in south-east Asia, narrows the gap between the two hominin species at the site."

Fossilised remains of even smaller ancestral hobbits who lived on Flores 700,000 years ago have further persuaded experts that the creatures really were a distinct human species.

They suggest that hobbits evolved from an earlier type of human, Homo erectus, that became marooned on Flores long ago.

The new findings are published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
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Carry me if old.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
qcf x2 said:
lol, nice reference. That's so sad though. Imagine how different things could have been. Seems manifest destiny has been ruining shit since 50,000 years ago.
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Yeah instead of hating humans with different colored skins or creeds or birthplaces, we'd just hate those other species of humans ;D
 
S

Saucy_XL

Banned
We spent some time on Flores and other groups of possibly "shorter humans" in one of my Anthro classes. Always felt like this was never talked about enough and that there were infact populations of shorter humanoids.
 
G

Gibbles17

Member
Has this group actually been classified now as a separate branch from modern humans? Could've swore I read a study somewhere that posited they were likely a highly inbred/isolated group of homo sapiens with thyroid defects that resulted in their tiny stature.
 
S

sphagnum

Banned
~Devil Trigger~ said:
didnt know they where categorized as an actual species
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Homo floresiensis. They weren't Homo sapiens.

It's really interesting how tens of thousands of years ago there were multiple human species running around on the planet, as if, well, we were living in Lord of the Rings. Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, Hobbits, Denisovans, the Red Deer Cave People (who lived all the way up until the Holocene began!), etc.
 
J

Jonbo298

Member
Trojita said:
Human corgis.
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image.php
 
L

Lovely Salsa

Banned
sphagnum said:
Homo floresiensis. They weren't Homo sapiens.

It's really interesting how tens of thousands of years ago there were multiple human species running around on the planet, as if, well, we were living in Lord of the Rings. Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, Hobbits, Denisovans, the Red Deer Cave People (who lived all the way up until the Holocene began!), etc.
Click to expand...

Homo erectus too

Imagine if they all lived together today

The discrimination would be through the roof
 
L

Lulubop

Member
sphagnum said:
Homo floresiensis. They weren't Homo sapiens.

It's really interesting how tens of thousands of years ago there were multiple human species running around on the planet, as if, well, we were living in Lord of the Rings. Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, Hobbits, Denisovans, the Red Deer Cave People (who lived all the way up until the Holocene began!), etc.
Click to expand...

We won
 
Z

Ziltoidia 9

Member
There is so much that we don't know from, say 50k years ago until around 4k years ago. With the ice age going away about 12,000 years ago, and the fact that civilization sets up shop along the coast, its possible that we just lost it all and its miles out into the ocean along the floor.
 
N

Nabbis

Member
It's not like those other species got killed in some 5 year war. It still took Neanderthals thousands of years to disappear. It's not exactly genocide.
 
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