Fifteen years ago scientists discovered “Hobbits”, or Homo floresiensis, in the Liang Bua cave on the Indonesian island of Flores.
The Cave Where Homo Floresiensis Were Discovered
Hobbits, not to be confused with the ones in J. R. R. Tolkien novels, lived in Flores before Homo sapiens reached the island. Due to their plant-based diets and high occurrence of gene variants, they maintained a reduced height; they stood just over a meter tall (about 3.28 feet).
For reference, individuals who are categorized as little people and have the genetic condition of dwarfism are four feet tall on average.
The short-statured Hobbits inherited their DNA from Neanderthals and the early humans Denisovans. Much like their predecessors, they have been extinct for tens of thousands of years.
For years researchers theorized that modern-day pygmies are direct descendants to the Hobbits.
By decoding a modern pygmy’s DNA, scientists sought to discover if today’s people are descended from the extinct Hobbit populations.
A Model of an Adult Female Hobbit
According to a new analysis from the journal Science Magazine, there is no trace of hobbit DNA is today’s people.
Even though the recent findings negate former theories, it still might explain why smaller people are found on islands. While the findings may be perceived as disappointing, they are still significant.
Senior author of the study, Richard Green, says, “It sounds like a boring result, but it’s actually quite meaningful.”
A previous study states that Homo floresiensis’ quickly evolved from a taller ancestor within a few hundred thousand years. In regard to that, Green says, “if the circumstances are right, then natural selection can act on inherited variation to create a small-bodied population over a short time.”
Similarly, the study could explain why animals are smaller than average on islands.
Corresponding to the evolution of humans, animals also evolve smaller body sizes when they remain in a poor environmental and dietary conditions over several generations. Interestingly enough, this development is actually advantageous because small animals and people require less energy needs.
Princeton university professor Dr. Serena Tucci explains how size and environment correlate during adaptation. She says:
“In geographically diverse and environmentally extreme regions, a gene called FADS seems to act like a ‘toggle-switch’ in helping animals switch to between largely animal or plant-based diets.”
During the Bronze age, FADS genes went through a related change as people started to eat more like today’s vegans.
