Hobbit

Until recently, it was assumed that Homo floresiensis lived about 18,000 years ago. More recent studies, however, support an age of at least 60,000 years. Despite this new dating, Homo floresiensis retains its unique position within the genus Homo. The small body size of this “hobbit,” with a brain volume of only 417 cubic centimeters, is explained by scientists as the result of so-called “island dwarfing,” an evolutionary process also found among elephants that once inhabited certain islands. In case of the elephants, it could be shown that such a process can take place over relatively few generations within a span of only 5,000 years.