An anthropologist suggests that the ancient species, Homo floresiensis, commonly referred to as the “Hobbit,” may still exist on the island of Flores, Indonesia.
In 2003, the excavation of Homo floresiensis bones in Indonesia astonished scientists. The discovery on Flores Island revealed a previously unknown hominin standing just 3.5 feet (1 meter) tall, adept at using stone tools for hunting. While it was widely agreed that this ancient species had gone extinct, this view seems to be changing.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, retired anthropologist Gregory Forth has spent years compiling evidence for the ongoing existence of Homo floresiensis, the “Hobbit.” His work delves into the accounts of over 30 local Lio people, asserting that they have encountered this diminutive hominin.
The story began in 2003 when a portion of a Homo floresiensis skeleton was unearthed in Liang Bua, a limestone cave on Flores Island. Anthropologists, seeking evidence of modern human migration from Asia to Australia, referred to it as the “Hobbit.” Estimates suggested that the specimen was between 13,000 and 38,000 years old. By 2016, a subsequent study revised the dating of the remains to 50,000 years ago, leading anthropologists and scholars to a consensus that the species was extinct.
The cave where the Homo floresiensis remains were discovered in 2003, Liang Bua, Flores, Indonesia.
However, Forth presents an opposing view in his latest book, “Between Ape and Human,” and in a recent essay published in The Scientist. The retired professor from the University of Alberta argues that scholars have long dismissed many local eyewitness reports, regarding sightings of the Hobbit as mere primitive myths.
Forth writes: “My purpose in writing the book is to find the best explanation – that is, the most reasonable and well-supported explanation empirically – for the Lio people’s accounts of these creatures.” “These include reports of sightings from over 30 witnesses, all of whom I spoke with directly. And I conclude that the best way to explain what they told me is that a non-Homo sapiens species has survived on Flores until the present or very recently.”
He told Live Science: “We simply do not know when this species went extinct, or, I dare say – we do not even know if it has gone extinct.”
Could Homo floresiensis still exist today in the forests of Flores Island, Indonesia? One anthropologist certainly thinks so.
Forth believes that the detailed stories of the Lio people deserve serious consideration. They describe creatures approximately 3-5 feet (1-1.5 meters) tall, walking upright and covered in hair, often seen near caves and water sources. Some even claim to have seen footprints or heard distinctive voices.
The anthropologist describes how the folk zoology and cosmology of the Lio people, who live on the island, include stories of humans undergoing transformation into animals as they navigate and adapt to different habitats. He draws parallels between this phenomenon and Lamarckism, where acquired physical traits are believed to be inherited.
He states: “As my field research has revealed, such recognized changes reflect local observations of similarities and differences between a species considered an ancestor and its divergent descendants.”
The Lio people regard these creatures as animals due to their lack of language and advanced technology compared to humans. However, their many human-like traits are undeniable – they stand upright, walk on two legs, and have a significant amount of body hair. In fact, they are among many species that the Lio assert have human ancestry.
“They say the face looks ape-like,” Forth mentioned in a recent interview with The Debrief. “But they say it resembles a monkey, as they do not distinguish between monkeys and apes.”
Forth writes in a study for The Scientist: “For the Lio, the appearance of the hominid is something not entirely human, making this creature peculiar and therefore problematic and concerning.”
For the Lio people, the appearance of the hominid is something not entirely human.
While certain reports regarding unidentified creatures may be dismissed, he highlights cases with multiple witnesses or instances of “hominids” that have died, allowing for closer examination.
Currently, the most accurate estimates suggest that H. floresiensis existed up to 50,000 years ago. However, Forth advocates for the integration of indigenous knowledge into hominin evolutionary research.
“I suspect our initial instinct is to regard the surviving hominids on Flores as a figment of the imagination. However, upon seriously considering what the Lio people say, I find no reasonable justification to think that way,” he concludes. “What they say about these creatures, supplemented by various other types of evidence, entirely fits with a surviving hominin species or one that went extinct only within the last 100 years.”
The locals told Forth: “They are afraid of us, and we are afraid of them.”
