WASHINGTON (AP) — New research suggests ancestors of the “hobbits” were even smaller.
Two decades ago, researchers discovered fossils of an early human species in an Indonesian cave that stood 3½ feet tall, earning them the nickname “hobbits.”
A study published in the journal Nature Communications suggests earlier relatives that were 2.4 inches shorter and existed 700,000 years ago.
Researchers have debated how the hobbits — named Homo floresiensis — evolved to be so small and where they fall in the human evolutionary story.