Scientists find out why 'hobbits' disappeared 61,000 years ago

An international team of scientists has found compelling evidence that abrupt climate change and thousands of years of drought played a key role in the extinction of the ancient human species Homo floresiensis, known as "hobbits". The study is published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

According to scientists, around 61,000 to 55,000 years ago, the Indonesian island of Flores experienced a period of extreme drought that forced the hobbits to abandon the Liang Bua cave, a place where they had lived for about 140,000 years. This climatic upheaval was probably one of the decisive factors in their extinction.

How scientists reconstructed the climate of the distant past

The researchers combined:

• chemical analyses of stalagmites from caves, which serve as a natural archive of precipitation,

• isotope data from the teeth of fossil pygmy elephants (Stegodon florensis insularis) hunted by hobbits.

The results showed a steady drying trend that began about 76,000 years ago and peaked at a period coinciding with the extinction of Homo floresiensis.

The ecosystem collapsed along with food sources

According to the study's lead author, Professor Emeritus Mike Gagan of the University of Wollongong, the environment around Liang Bua became much drier: summer rainfall decreased, riverbeds began to dry up and access to fresh water became unstable.

Isotope analyses showed that pygmy elephants were dependent on river water. As the rivers disappeared, their numbers declined dramatically - some 61,000 years ago. Along with them, a key food source for hobbits disappeared.

A chain reaction of extinction

Scientists say that dwindling water supplies, disappearing prey and increasing competition for resources created a powerful environmental stressor that forced the hobbits to leave their familiar territories.

"Fresh water, elephants and Homo floresiensis disappear at the same time - this clearly shows how climate can set off a chain reaction of extinction," explained study co-author Geert van den Berg.

Possible encounter with Homo sapiens

Although hobbits appeared on Flores long before the arrival of modern humans, Homo sapiens were already travelling through the Indonesian archipelago around the same time that Homo floresiensis disappeared.

According to one hypothesis, hobbits may have encountered modern humans in their search for water and food. In this case, climate change not only weakened the population, but also paved the way for its eventual extinction.

Why this discovery is important today

The study highlights how much climate can influence the fate of species - including our closest evolutionary relatives. The story of Homo floresiensis becomes yet another reminder that long-term changes in climate can radically alter the course of evolution.

Who are these "hobbits" anyway?

The discovery of the ancient human Homo floresiensis on the Indonesian island of Flores has become one of the most high-profile archaeological sensations of the 21st century. Small stature, tiny brain and at the same time developed skills of hunting and making tools - all this forced scientists to reconsider ideas about human evolution.

The unofficial nickname "hobbit" quickly took hold of this species, but, as the researchers emphasise, it did not arise for the sake of spectacularity - and reflects the real biological features of ancient man.

A sensation from the Liang Bois cave

Homo floresiensis was discovered in 2003 in the Liang-Bua cave on the island of Flores. The find included a nearly complete skeleton of an adult female about 106 centimetres tall, as well as tools and evidence of fire use.

The remains were estimated to be about 50-60 thousand years old, which means: this species existed in parallel with Homo sapiens.

Why it's called a "hobbit" - and it's scientific

The nickname "hobbit" appeared not because of the imagination of journalists, but as a convenient metaphor reflecting the key characteristics of the species:

• extremely short stature - about 1 metre;

• body proportions resembling a shrunken man;

• living in an isolated environment - on an island, like Tolkien's characters;

• the ability to build tools and live socially despite their "modest" physical parameters.

Scientists emphasise: the term is used informally, but it helps to visually explain the uniqueness of the species to a wide audience and has gained a foothold in popular science literature.

Dwarf man, not a sick Homo sapiens

Immediately after the discovery, there was speculation that Homo floresiensis was a modern human with a pathology (such as microcephaly). However, subsequent research has disproved this hypothesis.

Analyses of bones, teeth and skull structure have shown

• the features are evolutionary, not pathological;

• similar proportions are found in a few individuals;

• the skeletal structure differs from both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.

The most common version is island dwarfism: the ancestors of Homo floresiensis probably descended from Homo erectus and decreased in size over time due to limited resources on the island.

Small brain - not primitive thinking

The brain volume of Homo floresiensis was about 400 cubic centimetres, smaller than that of chimpanzees. However, archaeological evidence shows that he:

• made stone tools;

• hunted pygmy elephants;

• used fire;

• lived in organised groups.

This has become a serious argument against the idea that intelligence is directly related to brain size.