Homo floresiensis
This skull is quite small leading many to call these individuals “hobbits”

Homo floresiensis

The Finding of Homo floresiensis

Mystifying human fossils were found on the island of Flores, Indonesia. These adult humans, first estimated to be about 18,000 years old, were just three feet tall. The scientific name for these fossils is Homo floresiensis. However, they have been affectionately nicknamed “hobbits.

What is the Homo floresiensis?

Starting with the biblical worldview, there are only three options for what the hobbits could be: 1) nonhuman species (one of the ape kinds), 2) true humans, but a disease or poor nutrition prevented them from achieving a more normal size, 3) true humans whose small stature represented the created variation.

Conclusion about Homo floresiensis

Ever since the discovery of tiny human skeletons in Liang Bua cave on the Indonesian island of Flores a decade ago, anthropologists have debated their origins. The Homo floresiensis—nicknamed “hobbits”—were clearly human. Where did such small people come from?

Articles About Homo floresiensis

  • In-Depth Article
    Is Homo floresiensis a Legitimate Human “Hobbit” Species?
    Aug. 19, 2014 from Answers in Depth

    Indonesia’s Flores Island was probably populated not by a Lilliputian human species but just ordinary people including a person with Down syndrome.

  • "Hobbits" Reconfirmed as Human
    Oct. 2, 2010

    The University of Western Australia's Emeritus Professor Charles Oxnard and colleagues have reconfirmed that the “Hobbits” were human after all.

  • Hobbit Fully Human?
    Sept. 11, 2010

    The hobbit of Indonesia is back in the news again, and this time, the spotlight is again on scientists who think the hobbit was fully human.

  • Hobbits from Indonesia?
    March 20, 2010

    Did “hobbits” inhabit Indonesia’s Flores Island more than a million years ago?

  • Is the Hobbit Human?
    Jan. 31, 2009 from News to Know

    Remember the hobbit? It’s back in the news—again.

  • Dental Anomalies Found in Hobbit Teeth
    May 3, 2008

    One of the Indonesian “hobbit” fossils said to be a unique species of human from 18,000 years ago may have dropped by the dentist for a filling last century, reports ScienceNOW’s Elizabeth Culotta.

  • Ancient Bones of Hobbits found in Palau
    March 15, 2008

    “Thousands” of human bones have been unearthed belonging to “numerous individuals,” some of whom were “of particularly small size.” More hobbits, perhaps?

  • The Return of the Hobbits
    March 6, 2008

    The debate over “hobbit” remains found in an Indonesian island cave shows no signs of slowing. Creating news this time is a new theory published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

  • Hobbit by Birth or Disease?
    Sept. 29, 2007

    Another study about the famous (or is it infamous?) “hobbit,” further stokes the debate: diseased or different?

  • “Hobbits” Were True Humans!
    Feb. 14, 2007

    The island of Flores, Indonesia, was the discovery site of fossil adult humans just three feet tall with a cranial capacity of about 380 cubic centimeters. Their scientific name is Homo floresiensis. However, they have been nicknamed “hobbits,” after the stars of the Lord of the Rings saga by Tolkien.

  • “Hobbit” Dispute Takes Another Turn
    Feb. 3, 2007

    Researchers debate about the “hobbit” skeleton discovered earlier this year.

  • “Hobbits” Were Real!
    Sept. 13, 2006

    Mystifying human fossils were found on the island of Flores, Indonesia, by a team led by Peter Brown and M. J. Morwood, and reported in Nature.

  • It’s Getting “Hobbit”-forming—the Ongoing Attempts to Deny Humanity’s Special Creation
    May 5, 2005

    The American TV network CBS—on its premier news program, 60 Minutes—aired a highly speculative segment on the controversial Indonesian fossil find called “Flores Man.”

Newsletter

Get the latest answers emailed to you.

Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

Learn more

  • Customer Service 800.778.3390
  • Available Monday–Friday | 9 AM–5 PM ET