Ancestors of the 'Hobbits' Were Even Smaller, New Research Suggests

The discovery of new fossils on an Indonesian island has shed light on the size of the ancestors of the 'hobbits'.

Researchers have found that the ancestors of the 'hobbits' were even smaller than previously thought, standing at just over three feet tall.

The original 'hobbit' fossils were discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003. These fossils, which date back to between 60,000 and 100,000 years ago, belonged to a species of early humans known as Homo floresiensis. Homo floresiensis stood at about 3 feet 6 inches tall and had a brain size that was about one-third the size of modern humans.

The new fossils, which were excavated at a site called Mata Menge, were discovered in 2016. These fossils belong to a species of early humans known as Homo luzonensis. Homo luzonensis stood at just over 3 feet tall and had a brain size that was about two-thirds the size of modern humans.

The discovery of Homo luzonensis suggests that the ancestors of the 'hobbits' were even smaller than previously thought. This discovery also raises questions about the diversity of early human species and the evolution of human size.