Unusual human relatives, whose height did not exceed 1.1 meters, likely did hunt elephants on the island of Flores. However, it remains unclear whether their extinction was caused by the decline in the population of these animals or if modern humans—Homo sapiens—played a decisive role.

Ancient Inhabitants of Flores

About a million years ago, the first representatives of the genus Homo appeared on the equatorial island of Flores. It is difficult to determine their exact species: the earliest finds consist only of stone tools, but it is assumed they were Homo erectus. How exactly they reached the island remains a mystery, as modern reconstructions show that crossing the sea with only oars and no sails would have been impossible. Therefore, some scientists believe these ancient people may have used sailing vessels.

Evolution and Size Reduction

Over time, the descendants of the first settlers became noticeably smaller: their height decreased by about one and a half times, and their brain volume by more than half. This was likely due to reduced environmental pressures: for a long time, there was little competition with other human groups or animals on the island.

The Disappearance of the Hobbits

About 60,000 years ago, the remains of the so-called "hobbits"—as this species is often called in the media—disappear. Another 10,000 years later, their stone tools also vanish. The reasons for their extinction remain a topic of scientific debate.

Climatic Changes and Their Consequences

The authors of a recent study tried to explain the disappearance of the Flores people by analyzing isotope ratios in stalagmites from a cave near the site where their remains were found. The formation of stalagmites depends on air humidity, so they can be used to estimate past rainfall on the island.

Researchers discovered that around 76,000 years ago, the average annual rainfall on Flores began to gradually decrease. By 60,000 years ago, it had dropped by 1.57 times, to 990 millimeters per year, and in summer by more than half, to 450 millimeters. According to scientists, this should have led to a decline in the population of stegodonts—dwarf relatives of modern elephants, which the Flores people likely hunted. Due to the reduction in these animals, the people may have left the cave, possibly moving closer to the wetter coast.

The Influence of Other Factors

About 50,000 years ago, the layers containing Flores people's tools were covered by a layer of ash from a volcanic eruption. Traces of modern humans appear in this cave only above this layer, although it is possible they arrived on the island earlier but settled elsewhere. In that case, weakened by prolonged drought, the dwarf humans could have been finally displaced or exterminated by newcomers.

Competition and Diet

Some researchers doubt that the hobbits mainly fed on stegodonts: many remains of large local rats have been found in their cave. In addition, they had to compete with the giant marabou stork, which stood up to 1.8 meters tall, and the Komodo dragon—both predators were much larger than the Flores people, making the struggle for resources especially difficult.

Judging by the behavior of modern marabou storks, which actively steal prey from other predators and can attack any vertebrate, these birds could have posed a serious threat to the Flores people. However, after the arrival of Homo sapiens on the island, the giant marabou went extinct.

Conclusion

The disappearance of the Flores people was likely due to a combination of factors: climate change, the decline of the stegodont population, competition with large predators, and possibly the arrival of modern humans. The question of which of these reasons was decisive remains open and continues to fuel scientific discussion.