Homo floresiensis Did Not Hunt or Use Fire, New Study Finds

A new study published in "Science Advances" challenges key claims about Homo floresiensis, the so-called "hobbits" discovered in Liang Bua cave on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003. Marks on stegodon bones previously interpreted as evidence of tool use, fire and big-game hunting are now attributed to bites from prehistoric reptiles. The species, standing about one metre tall, apparently survived for nearly a million years without fire or large-animal hunting, reshaping our understanding of its intelligence and adaptability.

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