• Ancient drought may have wiped out the real-life hobbits 61,000 years ago A brutal, long-lasting drought may have wiped out the real-life â hobbitsâ of ancient Indonesia. • An international group of researchers, including scientists from the University of Wollongong (UOW), has uncovered strong evidence that shifting climate conditions contributed to the disappearance of Homo floresiensis, the small-bodied human species often called the hobbits. • The findings, published inCommunications Earth & Environment, indicate that these early humans left Liang Bua, a cave they had occupied for roughly 140,000 years, during a prolonged drought that stretched across thousands of years. • To piece together what happened, researchers analyzed chemical signals preserved in cave stalagmites along with isotopic data from fossilized teeth belonging to a pygmy elephant species (Stegodon florensis insularis) that the hobbits hunted. • The data point to a long drying trend that began about 76,000 years ago and intensified into a severe drought between 61,000 and 55,000 years ago. • That harsh period aligns closely with the timeHomo floresiensisvanished.
Article Summaries:
- A study by the University of Wollongong and international colleagues suggests that a prolonged drought 61,000-55,000 years ago likely drove the extinction of Homo floresiensis, the small‑bodied “hobbits” of Flores, Indonesia. Researchers analyzed stalagmite chemistry and isotopes from the teeth of a pygmy elephant species (Stegodon florensis) that the hobbits hunted. The data reveal a steady decline in rainfall beginning around 76,000 years ago, culminating in a severe drought that coincided with the disappearance of both the elephants and the hobbits. The loss of water and prey is thought to have forced the hobbits out of Liang Bua, leading to their extinction.
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