We did not expect that we would find smaller individuals from such an old site, study co-author Yousuke Kaifu of the University of Tokyo said in an email.
Further analysis suggests ancestors were a mere 2.4 inches shorter than hobbits, existing 700,000 years ago, emphasizing their small size.
Researchers debate how Homo floresiensis evolved to be so small, among the last early human species, and its position in the human evolutionary story.
More research and fossils are needed to determine if the hobbits shrank from Homo erectus or a more primitive human predecessor, remaining an unanswered question.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]