Homo floresiensis

Homo floresiensis is an extinct small-bodied hominin species known from the island of Flores in Indonesia.

Homo floresiensis is an extinct small-bodied hominin species known from the island of Flores in Indonesia. It lived in the late Pleistocene, with fossil dates commonly placed between about 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, and is often nicknamed the “Hobbit.”

Discovery and naming

The first fossils were found in Liang Bua cave on Flores in 2003 and were formally described as a new species in 2004. The discovery drew attention because the remains belonged to a very small hominin with unusual anatomical features.

Physical characteristics

Homo floresiensis was about 1 metre tall, had a brain volume of about 420 cm³, and had short legs and large feet. Its skeleton combined primitive and more recent human-like traits.

Dating and archaeology

Fossils are generally dated to roughly 100,000–50,000 years ago, while associated stone tools may be older, extending back to about 190,000 years ago. The species is known from the single site of Liang Bua.

Scientific significance

Homo floresiensis is important because it expanded understanding of human diversity and evolution in the late Pleistocene. Its anatomy and age have made it a major subject of research and debate in palaeoanthropology.