Homo floresiensis

Location:

Flores Island, Indonesia

Time Range:

200-60 tya

(Initial dates of 95-12 tya have been abandoned as research reported in 2016 strongly suggests that the materials first used to reach date estimates were from a later wash of materials into the cave where specimens were found. The skull shown on this page, for example, formerly thought to date to about 18 tya is now thought to date to about 71.5 tya. Materials possibly attributable to Homo floresiensis from before 100 tya do not include human remains.)

Size:

100 - 137 cm tall, about 16 kg.

Cranial Capacity:

380 cc

Habitats:

Small tropical island.

Special Note:

This appears to be a “pygmy” version of a very late H. erectus. It is so strikingly small (and of such a small brain capacity) that initially skeptics were convinced that it was a pathology. Enough similar specimens have now been found to reduce that possibility.

Wikipedia link

Homo floresiensis
and Modern Skull
(Photo by Peter Brown, Science News, 166(18): 275)

Homo floresiensis
(National Geographic Society, 2004)

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