Flores 'Hobbit' Humans Were Actually Scavengers of Elephant Carcasses Left by Komodo Dragons

The ‘hobbit’ humans of East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, were apparently scavengers of dwarf elephant carcasses. The extinct tiny hominins consumed the elephant remains after they had been eaten by Komodo dragons. This fact is a new finding revealed by researchers, overturning the assumption that the ancient humans, scientifically named Homo floresiensis, were hunters of large animals. The ‘hobbit’ humans arrived on Flores Island at least 700,000 years ago, and their fossils were first discovered in 2003. Homo floresiensis earned the ‘hobbit’ nickname due to their small size, with an average height of about 106 centimetres. They also had small brains, large teeth, and broad feet. These hobbits disappeared around 50,000 years ago as Homo sapiens began spreading across Southeast Asia. Archaeologists previously found stone tools, animal bones with cut marks, and charred bones that seemed to indicate complex behaviour common to the genus Homo. However, in a study published in the journal Science Advances, an international research team questioned whether Homo floresiensis behaviour was truly as advanced as previously assumed. Researchers examined fossils of Stegodon florensis insularis, an extinct dwarf elephant relative found in Liang Bua Cave, where Homo floresiensis bones and stone tools were also discovered. The observation aimed to determine whether the cut marks resulted from hunting or from scavenging the leftovers of Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), the island’s only carnivorous predator. To distinguish between cut marks made by hobbits and bite marks from Komodo dragons, researchers fed goat carcasses to captive Komodo dragons. They retrieved the carcasses and documented all the dragon bite marks. The bite marks were concentrated in areas with plenty of flesh, indicating the dragons preferred the meaty parts. The team then investigated the ancient Stegodon bones for evidence of Homo floresiensis stone tool cut marks and Komodo dragon bite marks. They found 54 cut marks on the Stegodon bones and nearly twice as many Komodo dragon bite marks. Crucially, they found the dragon bite marks were focused on the fleshy areas, while the hominin cut marks were mostly on areas with little meat. This suggests Homo floresiensis did not hunt and kill the Stegodon. The pattern indicates a combination of primary access by the Komodo dragons and secondary access by Homo floresiensis. The hobbits also likely ate the meat raw, as no evidence was found that the Stegodon bones were cooked. Furthermore, there was no evidence of burning on more than 4,000 rat bones from the site, indicating that previous evidence of ‘charred bones’ was actually just natural staining.