Researchers have discovered fossil evidence of three-foot-tall early humans on an Indonesian island dating back 700,000 years, possibly related to the Homo floresiensis species known as “hobbits.” The recent excavation on Flores Island revealed a tiny upper arm bone fragment, confirming the existence of an early human who stood at just three feet tall, even smaller than previously discovered Homo floresiensis specimens.
Yousuke Kaifu, a Professor at the University of Tokyo involved in the study, expressed surprise at the findings, stating that the individual was clearly an adult despite its small size. Further research will be conducted to determine the placement of these individuals in the human evolutionary story and how they evolved to be so small.
Interestingly, Homo floresiensis remained small in size over a long period of time, with Kaifu suggesting that they may have stayed the same size for possibly 600,000 years without major evolution. This contrasts with the evolution of Homo sapiens on the continent, where brain size increased along with body size. The full findings of the study are published in the journal Nature Communications.
The discovery of these early humans sheds light on a unique evolutionary path that diverged from the development of Homo sapiens on the mainland. The fossil evidence provides valuable insights into the mysterious history of small-statured humans on Flores Island, challenging previous assumptions about human evolution and highlighting the complexity of our origins.
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