Homo floresiensis
From EvoWiki
| Homo floresiensis | ||||||||||||||
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Prehistoric
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| †Homo floresiensis P. Brown et al., 2004 |
Homo floresiensis (or Hobbit man) was a dwarf species of human, living in Southeast Asia. They lived on the Indonesian island of Flores (after which the species is named), between 95,000 and 13,000 years ago, along with pygmy elephants (Stegodon) and giant predatory monitor lizards, possibly related to Komodo dragons.
The well-preserved skeleton, dated to 18,000 years ago, was well-preserved. The braincase is comparable to a chimpanzee (380cm3) and the skeleton indicates they were only as one meter in height. The bone of the leg and hip indicate clear bipedalism but resembles more closely an australopithecine than a modern human. The small teeth and evidence of tool usage and controlled fire indicate this creature had all the behaviours of humans. They were also the only human species besides the Neanderthals who were living at the same time as modern humans.
It has been suggested that Homo floresiensis evolved from an isolated population of Homo erectus who arrived on the island, probably by watercraft or even a short-lived land bridge, some 840,000 years ago. Selection pressures of island life caused them to become smaller over time - a common process occurring to many island creatures, called 'island dwarfing'. However, some scientists have suggested that the Homo floresiensis fossils found on the island of Flores were not members of a different species but were instead modern humans that were affected by a condition known as microcephaly, which produces an unusually small brain and skull. Despite their small brains, their use of fire, advanced stone tools such as spears, and possible hunting of Stegodon indicates that they were much smarter than their ape-sized brain would suggest. It possible, however, that modern humans have encountered floresiensis and may be responsible for some of the evidence of technology. It is unknown what transpired when the two species met, and is the subject of further investigation on the island. It is believed that these creatures may be the source of the legends of a dwarfish race, called "Ebu Gogo," (literally "Grandma Glutton") that persist in the local folktales.
Homo floresiensis died out near the end of the Pleistocene around 12,000-13,000 years ago, although the exact cause remains unknown. A probable cause would be Pleistocene climatic changes, but other possibilities include volcanic eruptions, over-consumption of the island's resources or being killed by humans.
References
- Stringer, Chris and Andrews, Peter, "The Complete World of Human Evolution" Thames and Hudson, London. 2005. pp174-5
