Researchers Try to Solve the Mystery of Hobbit Humans

STATES CHRONICLE – For many years now, scientists try to solve the mystery of hobbit humans. Back in 2003, researchers have unearthed the remains of a human pygmy species, namely Homo floresiensis, in a cave on the Flores Island. For 15 years, the origins of this species were enveloped in mystery, starting several rumors. At that time, scientists were not able to establish whether Homo floresiensis was a damaged Homo sapiens or a new human species.

Scientists could not determine the place of Hobbit humans in the evolutionary tree

Nevertheless, they continued to ask themselves whether hobbit humans were a new kind of humans and, if so, where was their place of the evolutionary tree. Anthropologists wanted to know how old this species was. There was a long series of unanswered questions. Thus, scientists decided to investigate in a try to find some accurate answers.

Anthropologists could not determine some satisfactory results to all their dilemmas due to three different reasons. Firstly, anthropologists do not have enough bones from Hobbit humans to examine them and undergo a detailed series of tests. Despite the fact many American, Australian and Indonesian archaeologists have struggled to find such skeletons, they did not succeed.

Homo floresiensis had some similar characteristics to chimpanzees

So far, some archaeologists manage to uncover the skull, arm, shoulder, forearm bones, half of its pelvis, wrist, thigh, foot and leg bones. In 2004, scientists discovered more bones from other individuals, including lower and upper limb bones, an adult lower jaw and a Hobbit child’s limb bones. Even if the samples were well-preserved, they were not enough evidence to account for the puzzle of their place in the evolutionary tree.

Scientists confessed that they did not even have enough evidence for the Homo erectus from Indonesia to compare it with the Hobbit’s skeleton. They explained that Hobbit humans seem to have a lot of chimpanzee’s features, but also some modern human bits.  However, the most awkward looking Hobbit human who was discovered so far indicated that the creature had large teeth and a small brain. The species might have mostly walked on two feet.

Homo floresiensis indicates to have had long arms and short legs, just like a chimpanzee. Researchers presupposed that it might have lived most of the time in the trees. Hobbit humans were believed to be 18,000 years old, but the species’ age was reevaluated to somewhere between 100,000 and 60,000 years old. For some researchers, the Hobbit is a very primitive member of Homo, irrespective of the consequences it brings to us.

Image source: flickr