In Episode 2 of SOS, we’re talking about the Flores Hominids, also known as Homo floresiensis. These diminutive ancient humans lived on the island of Flores in Indonesia until modern humans came around 50,000 years ago. It surprised scientists because they were so recently alive and small in size. This has led to much discussion and different opinions about where they came from and how they evolved.
Some people think they came from another group of ancient humans called Homo erectus, who became smaller because they didn’t have enough resources on the island. Others think they might be a different branch of the human evolutionary tree. They were colloquially referred to as Hobbits until the Tolkien foundation put a stop to it.
The discovery of the Flores Hominids has led to more research about the history of our species. It has started conversations about how diverse humans can be and what it means to be “modern.” Even though there is still a lot to learn, the discovery of the Flores Hominids has helped us understand how human evolution worked.
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