Discovery Overview: It was 20 years ago that scientists discovered the fossils of a very small early human species on an Indonesian island, nicknamed “hobbits” because of their tiny height of about 1.07 meters.
New Study Findings: A new study indicates that their ancestors were even shorter in height by about 6 centimeters.
Fossil Details: The new fossils were discovered at Mata Menge, 45 miles from the original site. These date back 700,000 years ago and include a small fragment of an arm bone and teeth.
Evolutionary Debate: Some researchers are yet to know whether the hobbits evolved from Homo erectus, a taller human species, or a more primitive human predecessor.
Ongoing Research: The evolutionary position of the hobbits remains unclear, and further research and new fossil discoveries are required to understand their place in the history of humans.
Published Findings: The study was published on August 6, 2024, in the journal Nature Communications.
Expert Opinion: These findings were supported by experts like Dean Falk, but more studies are required to fully answer questions related to the hobbits’ evolution.
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