Until recently, scientists believed that Homo floresiensis, a species of dwarf humans that lived on the island of Flores, was threatened with extinction by modern humans. But new research suggests another cause for the collapse.
About 50,000 years ago, the Indonesian island of Flores was home to a unique species of small people, Homo floresiensis, often called “hobbit people.”
Researchers initially believed that these small hominids were driven to extinction by modern humans, but recent research points to other causes: IFLScience reports.
A new study, not yet peer-reviewed, points to climate change as a likely cause of their demise. The researchers say the reduced rainfall has significantly affected the dwarf elephants, known as stegodons, on which Homo floresiensis relied heavily for its diet.
These small elephants shared the island with the hobbits until climate change caused their water sources to dry up, causing a catastrophic collapse for both species.
The researchers note that archaeological evidence of Homo floresiensis disappeared about 4,000 years before Homo sapiens arrived on Flores, about 46,000 years ago.
To investigate the reasons for their disappearance, the team analyzed geological samples near Liang Bua, an important hobbit site, focusing on the levels of magnesium, calcium and oxygen isotopes. This allowed them to piece together a history of climate change in the region.
Their findings show that rainfall on Flores was much higher and more stable about 76,000 years ago.
Over the next 20,000 years, rainfall decreased significantly and seasonal variability increased. By 50,000 years ago, precipitation during the summer monsoon rains had dropped to 430 millimeters per year, leaving Stegodon with limited access to water during the dry seasons.
The researchers suggest two possible scenarios. In one, the elephants remained near Liang Bua, vulnerable to lack of water and persecution by Homo floresiensis, which lived around the waterholes.
Or the elephants may have migrated to wetter coastal areas, where unfamiliar environments would likely have threatened their survival. If the hobbits had followed their prey, they would have encountered new dangers and perhaps even modern humans traveling along the coast on their way to Oceania.
Although there is no reliable evidence of interaction between Homo sapiens and Homo floresiensis, the researchers do not rule out the possibility of their brief contact. This study demonstrates the fragility of ecosystems and the profound impact of climate change on ancient species.
