I am an American evolutionary biologist, based at Rutgers University, where I specialize in biodiversity, evolution, and genomics. Drop me a note, here. Thanks for your readership and support.
We’ve just learned how tiny some of our ancient relatives were, and the findings are nothing short of astonishing.In Flores, a remote island in Indonesia, scientists have unearthed fossils that reveal just how small some of our ancient relatives were—so small, in fact, that they might have been able to walk right under your coffee table.
This was the question that initially perplexed scientists too. However, after extensive analysis, it became clear that this wasn’t simply a case of pathological dwarfism, which would suggest an abnormality or exception within a population of typically larger individuals.
To address this, the researchers examined the bone’s microstructure, focusing on the presence of secondary “osteons”—structures that form as bones remodel and age. The density of these osteons, along with the relative thickness of the cortical bone, provided clear evidence that the individual was well into adulthood at the time of death.
To leave no stone unturned, they also compared the humerus with a wide range of both fossil and modern human bones to ensure that its small size was not a result of a developmental anomaly. The analysis showed that the bone’s characteristics matched those typically found in mature individuals, not subadults or juveniles.
Imagine the life of these tiny hominins: navigating a world of towering flora and fauna, possibly avoiding the island’s unique predators, like large birds of prey or other ancient creatures, all while developing simple yet effective tools for survival. This is an extraordinary story of survival against the odds, in an environment that would have tested every ounce of their resilience.from Java, suggesting a potential ancestral link.
Hominins Liang Bua Real Hobbits Smallest Humans Ever Mind-Blowing Discoveries Anthropology History Of Humans Dwarfs Insular Dwarfism
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