Riddle of the Human Hobbits : An Equinox Special

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Dr Martin Brookes

April 2005

Measuring little more than a metre in height, and with a brain the size of a grapefruit, Homo floresiensis may seem out of place on the human family tree. But according to the Indonesian and Australian scientists who discovered her fossilised skeleton on the island of Flores in Indonesia, Homo floresiensis, or 'Flo' for short, bears a strong resemblance to our closest evolutionary relative, albeit in miniature. Her relatively small teeth, prominent brow ridge, and low, broad brain case, all point towards a close affinity with that upright ancestor of ours, Homo erectus.

The Homo Erectus Link

In many ways, Homo erectus was the first rock star of the fossil world, leaving behind such celebrated remains as Java Man in Indonesia and Peking Man in China. But it was in Africa, almost two million years ago, where it all began. While other hominids were busy pursuing evolutionary dead ends, Homo erectus was discovering the joys of standing up straight. Here was the prototype human being.

Of course, the heavy brow, sloping forehead and invisible chin would stand out a mile in a modern identity parade, but in other respects, Homo erectus was remarkably similar to us. They stood erect, about 1.79 metres tall; they were agile and strong; and they certainly liked to travel. Fossils of Homo erectus have turned up throughout the Old World, which comprises Asia, Africa and Europe.

With a cranial capacity of about 1000 cubic centimetres, Homo erectus had a brain about three quarters the size of ours. But this was no numbskull. Here was a species that could make all kinds of innovative tools – vital objects, perhaps, in the transition from the hunted human to the human hunter. For Homo erectus was probably the first true hunter-gatherer; the first ancestor to make the shift from prey to predator.

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