According to a recent study by archaeologists, it has been discovered that the early humans who occupied the Indonesian island of Flores were wiped out by climate change.
The research was published in the journal Communication Earth & Environment.
Homo floresiensisCalled the ‘hobbits’ because of their small stature, they were first revealed in 2003 in the Liang Bua Cave on Flores.
The small-brained species, about four feet tall, probably lived on the island as recently as 50,000 years ago, but then disappeared without a trace.
Meanwhile, previous research suggested their departure corresponded with the arrival of modern humans in Southeast Asia and Australia.
An international team of archaeologists has revealed key evidence that furthers the existing theory, determining that the hobbits were likely consumed by a severe drought on their island.
The research further suggests that hobbits left Liang Bua Cave, which they had inhabited for about 140,000 years, during a prolonged drought lasting thousands of years.
In this regard, researchers have examined mineral formations called stalagmites, as well as fossil teeth of a pygmy elephant species that the hobbits hunted.
The analysis further showed that a prolonged absence of precipitation, starting about 76,000 years ago, led to a severe drought, which eventually hit the island between 61,000 and 55,000 years ago.
The study concludes that this long drought and the struggle for supplies forced their departure from Liang Bua and ultimately their extinction.
In this regard, Mike Gagan, the lead author of the study, said: “Summer rainfall fell and the riverbeds became seasonally dry, putting pressure on both the hobbits and their prey.”
Nevertheless, the findings underscore how environmental conditions can determine the process by which species persist or not, and it is possible that when the hobbits set out in search of water and prey, they encountered modern-day humans. Essentially, climate change plays a crucial role in its extinction.
