TOKYO - 0.9 meter high ancient creature dubbed the "Hobbit", said once a big-bodied Homo erectus from Asia, but later evolved into separate species.
The researchers believe that this species shrink in size after being stranded in Flores, Indonesia, probably after a natural disaster. They say this is something known as the "island effect", which occurs when a growing population in a restricted environment.
The facts revealed after scientists studying the 18,000-year-old fossilized teeth of this Hobbit, which leads them to believe that it belonged to a unique species distinct from Homo sapiens (human).
This is contrary to previous theory, that the individuals on this island is the Homo sapiens who suffered from a growth disorder known as microcephaly.
The researchers said it is likely that there is little Hobbit among modern human populations today.
Project leader Yousuke Kaifu of the National Museum of Nature and Science told Discovery News, quoted page of the Daily Mail, Thursday, November 19, that he thinks early modern humans could have been mixed (mating) with the Asian Homo erectus on a small scale.
Hobbit skeletal remains, or Homo floresiensis, 18,000-year-old was first discovered in 2003 in Flores, Indonesia. The species name is taken from the name of the area where the skeleton was found.
Hobbit name itself derived from the term 'small man' who became the main character in the fictional novel "The Lord of the Rings" British author, JRR Tolkien.
Researchers at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo found that gear teeth half Hobbit is primitive and modern half, which indicates they are not modern humans (Homo sapiens) with growth disorders.
