The Tiny Hobbit Humans Of Flores Died Out 61,000 Years Ago, And Now We Know Why

With no breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, or afternoon tea to keep them going, the legendary "hobbits" of Indonesia may have starved to death around 61,000 years ago. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Otherwise known as Homo floresiensis , the popularly named "hobbit" humans were a prehistoric species of hominin that stood around 106 centimeters tall (3 feet 6 inches) and occupied the island of Flores in Indonesia before mysteriously vanishing at around the time that Homo sapiens first voyaged through the archipelago. Hobbit remains have only been found in one place, a cave named Liang Bua, on Flores. First discovered in 2004, researchers have been trying to work out why they went extinct ever since.

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