The hobbits of Indonesia were not clever hunters but clumsy scavengers
New information has been released regarding the lifestyle of the Homo floresiensis species, known in the scientific world as "hobbits," who lived on the island of Flores in Indonesia. Zamin.uz reported on this.
According to the results of a study published in the journal Nature Microbiology, these ancient hominids may not have been the skilled hunters previously assumed. The scientists' new conclusions indicate that they lived primarily as scavengers, consuming leftovers from large predators.
For a long time, stone tools and the bones of stegodons—ancestors of ancient elephants—found in the Liang Bua cave had characterized these short-statured people as active hunters. However, modern analysis methods, specifically the science of taphonomy, which studies post-mortem changes in bone remains, have cast doubt on this theory.
Researchers compared the injuries on the stegodon bones with the marks left by the feeding habits of Komodo dragons. As a result, it was determined that the tooth marks of these giant lizards were present on the meatiest and most valuable parts of the prey.
Traces of stone tools used by the hobbits were found mainly on the lean and secondary bone parts. This clarifies the sequence of events at the time.
First, the region's largest predators, the Komodo dragons, claimed the prey. The people of Flores then contented themselves with gathering the remains after the predators had their fill.
Such a way of life indicates that they were quite limited in their ecosystem and were creatures dependent on other predators. Another important discovery relates to the issue of fire usage.
Previously, burn marks on bones were cited as evidence that the hobbits could control fire and cook food. However, when thousands of bone fragments were re-examined, signs of heat exposure were found on only one.
Scientists believe it is highly likely that this bone accidentally ended up in the cultural layer. According to the study's conclusions, the cognitive abilities and behavior of Homo floresiensis representatives were much simpler than previously thought.
They do not seem to have possessed the skills to regularly hunt large animals or manage fire, unlike modern humans or Neanderthals. This news demonstrates how diverse and unexpected the directions of human evolution have been.
The diminutive inhabitants of Flores island are now interpreted not as heroic hunters, but as creatures who cautiously used available resources to survive in a highly competitive environment.
