"The extinct archaic human species Homo floresiensis, formerly of Indonesia, left behind fully-grown adult skeletons that famously measure at a diminutive height of three and a half feet tall, which compelled scientists to naturally nickname them "hobbits," after the iconically pint-sized "Lord of the Rings" creatures. These hobbits mysteriously disappeared from their primary habitat - not the Shire, but the Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores - about 50,000 years ago."
"Researchers first encountered evidence of Homo floresiensis back in 2003 when the skeleton of this short stack humanoid was found in the wide-mouth limestone Liang Bua cavern, which is festooned with large stalagmites and stalactites. About a dozen more skeletal remains were later found, further cementing the discovery. The hobbits lived about 100,000 to 60,000 years ago on the island, according to researchers. The remains of pygmy elephants, their primary prey, were also found in the caves."
An extreme, multi-year drought affected the Liang Bua region around 50,000 years ago, reducing summer rainfall and causing riverbeds to become seasonally dry. Water scarcity and habitat drying would have stressed Homo floresiensis populations and reduced availability of primary prey such as pygmy elephants. Adult Homo floresiensis skeletons found in Liang Bua measure about three and a half feet tall. Skeletal evidence dates their presence on Flores to roughly 100,000–60,000 years ago. Competing explanations for short stature include island dwarfism versus arrival already small. Environmental collapse from prolonged drought offers a plausible explanation for their disappearance.
Read at Futurism
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