An article published in the journal “Nature Communications” reports a study on new fossils belonging to the hominins called Homo floresiensis and nicknamed hobbits found at the site of Mata Menge, on the island of Flores. A team of researchers examined these new fossils dated to about 700,000 years ago and concluded that the species Homo floresiensis could descend from Asian Homo erectus.
The image (Courtesy Kaifu, Y., Kurniawan, I., Mizushima / Nature Communications) shows various views of a partial humerus (a-f), including one obtained with a micro-CT scan (g), of Homo floresiensis found at the site of Mata Menge compared with some views of a humerus (h-i) found at the site of Liang Bua.
The discovery of hominins just over a meter tall in a cave at Liang Bua, on the island of Flores, aroused much curiosity and not only among professionals in the field. Nicknamed hobbits because of their small height, they stimulated discussions since the beginning about their origin and relationships with other hominins, especially with Homo sapiens.
After the first findings in 2003, other fossils were discovered at the same site in the following years, increasing the number of specimens to be examined. An article published in the “Journal of Human Evolution” in April 2017 concluded that the species Homo floresiensis was probably a sister species of Homo habilis. However, discussions continued and new fossils discovered at another site on the island of Flores called Mata Menge could lead many scientists to conclude that this species descends from the Asian Homo erectus.
The fossils from the Mata Menge site date back to about 700,000 years ago, well before those from Liang Bua, which have a still uncertain dating that could be between 50,000 and 190,000 years ago. The Mata Menge specimens have even smaller jaws and teeth than those of Liang Buae, and the partial humerus also provides evidence that they were even smaller in stature than those who lived later. All of this indicates that small size evolved early in the history of Homo floresiensis. These new fossils brought clues to the possible close relationship between Homo floresiensis and Homo erectus.
This new study reports the discovery of new fossils discovered at the Mata Menge site that researchers say indicate even more that Homo floresiensis descended from Homo erectus. Some fossils were also examined with a micro-CT scan that allowed for a 3D reconstruction.
The remarkable anatomical similarities between the individuals discovered at the two sites provide certainty that they are all Homo floresiensis. However, the oldest individuals have teeth with characteristics compatible with those of the oldest Homo erectus discovered on the island of Java. According to the researchers’ reconstruction, a population of Homo erectus arrived on the island of Flores, where it remained isolated and underwent a process of insular dwarfism.
The fossils discovered at the Mata Menge site were precious in the new reconstruction of the history of Homo floresiensis, but the issue is not yet closed. New fossil discoveries and new analyses could provide new information and lead to new discussions. Once again, the history of humanity is complex with ramifications that scientists are still discovering.
