NEW SPECIES of Human "Hobbits" Discovered (Season 3) | The UnXplained
Summary
TLDRIn 2003, archeologists in Flores, Indonesia, discovered the remains of Homo floresiensis, a miniature human species standing less than 4 feet tall that lived 60,000 years ago. Dubbed 'the hobbit,' this species challenges our understanding of early hominin capabilities, suggesting they were more adept at traversing oceans than previously thought. The script also hints at the existence of a giant human species, the Denisovans, found in Siberia, indicating a diverse human family tree with potential undiscovered branches.
Takeaways
- πΊοΈ In 2003, archeologists in Flores, Indonesia, discovered the skeletal remains of a previously unknown species of miniature humans, Homo floresiensis, in the Liang Bua Cave.
- π¦Ώ The partial skeleton, known as LB1, was of an adult less than 4 feet tall, with short stature not due to deformity.
- π¬ Genetic analysis confirmed Homo floresiensis as a distinct species within the Homo genus, closely related to but smaller than modern humans.
- π The discovery on an oceanic island challenged the belief that only modern humans were capable of crossing open water to reach such islands.
- π οΈ Tools found on the Isle of Flores suggest a level of sophistication and capability in Homo floresiensis that was previously unattributed to early hominins.
- ποΈ Homo floresiensis is believed to have disappeared around 50,000 years ago, with evidence from only one cave site.
- 𧬠The nickname 'hobbits' for Homo floresiensis came from their small stature, drawing parallels to JRR Tolkien's fictional characters.
- π§ The existence of Homo floresiensis suggests that there may be other undiscovered branches of the human family tree.
- ποΈ In Siberia's Altai Mountains, archeologists found massive human teeth suggesting the existence of a human subspecies, the Denisovans, possibly 7-8 feet tall.
- 𦴠The Denisovans are supported by evidence from Siberia and the Tibetan Plateau, indicating the possibility of ancient giants walking the Earth.
- π Legends of extraordinarily large beings across cultures might have been inspired by encounters with or discoveries of Denisovan remains.
Q & A
In what year were the skeletal remains of Homo floresiensis discovered?
-The skeletal remains of Homo floresiensis were discovered in 2003.
Where were the remains of Homo floresiensis found?
-The remains were found in the Liang Bua Cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia.
What was unique about the stature of the Homo floresiensis individual found?
-The individual was remarkably short for an adult, standing less than 4 feet tall, and this was not due to deformity.
What is the scientific name given to the species of miniature humans discovered on Flores?
-The species was named Homo floresiensis, after the Isle of Flores where it was discovered.
How did the discovery of Homo floresiensis challenge previous beliefs about early hominins?
-The discovery challenged the belief that only modern humans were capable of reaching oceanic islands by crossing open water, indicating that earlier hominins had greater dispersal capabilities.
What nickname was given to Homo floresiensis by some anthropologists?
-Homo floresiensis was nicknamed 'the hobbits' due to their small stature, in reference to the characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's book 'The Hobbit'.
When did Homo floresiensis disappear according to the evidence found?
-Homo floresiensis disappeared roughly around 50,000 years ago, based on the evidence from the Liang Bua Cave.
What was the significance of the tools found on the Isle of Flores?
-The tools found suggest that Homo floresiensis had a level of sophistication and the ability to craft tools, which raises questions about their cognitive abilities and lifestyle.
What other evidence besides the teeth was used to identify the Denisovans?
-Besides the teeth, evidence of the Denisovans includes a huge jawbone found on the Tibetan Plateau, suggesting the existence of a human subspecies with massive skulls and jaws.
What does the discovery of the Denisovans suggest about the diversity of human relatives?
-The discovery of the Denisovans suggests that there may have been a greater diversity of human relatives, including possible 'giant' species, than previously thought.
How do legends of extraordinarily large beings relate to the discovery of the Denisovans?
-Legends of extraordinarily large beings, like giants in European folklore, could potentially be related to ancient encounters with or discoveries of Denisovans, who were much larger than modern humans.
Outlines
πΊοΈ Discovery of Homo floresiensis in Indonesia
In 2003, archeologists in Flores, Indonesia, unearthed the skeletal remains of a previously unknown species of miniature humans, Homo floresiensis, within the Liang Bua Cave. The partial skeleton, known as LB1, indicated an adult height of less than 4 feet, and genetic analysis confirmed the individual's short stature was not due to deformity. This discovery was significant as it suggested that early hominins had greater dispersal capabilities than previously thought, challenging the belief that only modern humans could have reached such isolated islands. The nickname 'hobbits' was inspired by the size and the Middle-earth creatures from J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 book, 'The Hobbit'. The disappearance of Homo floresiensis around 50,000 years ago remains a mystery, with only evidence from the Liang Bua Cave available for study.
𦴠Unearthing the Denisovans: Ancient Giants of Siberia
Archeologists in the Altai Mountains, Siberia, made an unexpected discovery of two enormous human teeth, twice the size of modern humans, suggesting the existence of a human cousin, potentially 7-8 feet tall with massive skulls and jaws. The teeth were dated to be over 50,000 years old and belonged to a subspecies named the Denisovans. Evidence from the Denisova cave and a jawbone found on the Tibetan Plateau points to the historical presence of giants on Earth. The possibility that these ancient beings could be the source of folklore featuring giants is discussed, with experts suggesting that ancient humans might have encountered or discovered remnants of Denisovans, leading to the perpetuation of such legends. The narrative emphasizes the ongoing exploration of the human family tree and the potential for discovering other hidden branches of humanity.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Flores
π‘Homo floresiensis
π‘Liang Bua Cave
π‘Archeologists
π‘Homo
π‘Denisovans
π‘Hobbit
π‘Skeletal remains
π‘Genetic analysis
π‘Extinction
π‘Dispersal capabilities
Highlights
Archeologists discovered the skeletal remains of a primitive human in the Liang Bua Cave, Flores, Indonesia in 2003.
The remains belonged to an adult less than 4 feet tall, with short stature not due to deformity.
The individual was identified as a member of a previously unknown species of miniature humans, living 60,000 years ago.
The partial skeleton, known as LB1 or Liang Bua 1, was a significant discovery in the field of anthropology.
Homo floresiensis was named after the Isle of Flores, where the remains were found.
Homo floresiensis had characteristics of teeth and jaws similar to our genus Homo, indicating a close relation.
The discovery challenges the belief that only modern humans could reach oceanic islands.
The presence of Homo floresiensis on Flores suggests earlier hominins had greater dispersal capabilities than previously thought.
The discovery of tools on the Isle of Flores raises questions about the origin and sophistication of Homo floresiensis.
Homo floresiensis disappeared around 50,000 years ago, with evidence found only in one cave.
The nickname 'hobbits' for Homo floresiensis came from their small stature, similar to JRR Tolkien's fictional characters.
The existence of Homo floresiensis suggests that there were multiple intelligent species inhabiting Earth in the past.
Archeologists in the Altai Mountains, Siberia, found enormous human teeth, suggesting the existence of a giant human species.
The teeth were identified as belonging to the Denisovans, a previously unknown human subspecies.
The Denisovans may have been 7-8 feet tall, with massive skulls and jaws, indicating the existence of giants in ancient times.
The discovery of the Denisovans challenges traditional views of human evolution and the diversity of our ancestors.
Legends of extraordinarily large beings have persisted for thousands of years, possibly inspired by encounters with Denisovans.
The possibility of undiscovered branches of humanity suggests that our understanding of human evolution is still evolving.
Transcripts
NARRATOR: Flores, Indonesia, 2003.
Archeologists conducting excavations
within the dark recesses of the Liang Bua Cave
uncover the skeletal remains of a primitive human.
Oddly, the bones appear to belong to an adult
less than 4 feet tall.
And genetic analysis reveals that the person's short stature
was not due to deformity.
Remarkably, this individual belonged
to a previously unknown species of miniature humans
that lived 60,000 years ago.
MATTHEW TOCHERI: The team of scientists excavating on Flores
uncovered the partial skeleton, which we now know as LB1,
or Liang Bua 1.
It immediately sent shockwaves around the world.
We know it's a member of our genus Homo
because it has characteristics of its teeth and jaws
that we use to define our genus.
So it's these features that help us
understand that it is closely related to us, but smaller.
NARRATOR: After further study, the newly discovered species
of miniature humans was given the name
Homo floresiensis, after the Isle of Flores
on which it was discovered.
The $64 million question is, how did the ancestors of Homo
floresiensis reach Flores?
Flores is an oceanic island.
That means it's never been connected
by land to either the Asian continent
or the Australian continent.
It's long been thought that only modern humans were
clever enough to somehow reach these kinds of islands
by crossing open water.
And so to find Homo floresiensis on this oceanic island
shows us how much we underestimate
earlier hominins in terms of their dispersal capabilities.
JIM VIEIRA: What's most interesting is they
found tools on the Isle of Flores.
Finding tools on this isolated Indonesian island
opens up a Pandora's box of ideas.
How did they get there?
How far back do these beings exist?
And what level of sophistication did they have?
MATTHEW TOCHERI: Homo floresiensis disappears
roughly about 50,000 years ago, but we only have
evidence from this one cave.
And so I think there's still a lot
that we need to uncover to figure
out the most likely explanation for their extinction.
NARRATOR: Due to their stature, some
anthropologists began calling Homo floresiensis the hobbits
in reference to the furry-footed characters from middle-earth,
popularized by author JRR Tolkien
in his 1937 book, "The Hobbit," which has led many to wonder,
could hobbit-sized humans be part of a missing link?
The hobbit is the prime example of saying, hang on.
Stop and start thinking of what's going on here.
As time goes, we're finding more and more
evidence that there was a range of different kinds of humans.
MICHIO KAKU: In science, we always had
to keep an open mind, even when things disturb our sense of who
we are and where we came from.
We're just beginning to realize that the "Lord of the Rings"
is really a paradigm for other species
out there lurking, that have not yet been discovered.
Homo sapiens are not necessarily the only game in town.
NARRATOR: The discovery of Homo floresiensis
proves that humans were just one of many intelligent species
to inhabit Earth in the past.
But remarkably, there could be evidence
of not only hobbit-sized humans, but also
species of giants that once lived
in what is now modern Russia.
The Altai Mountains, Siberia.
Archeologists conducting excavations inside a cave
make an unexpected discovery.
They find two enormous human teeth, twice
the size of a modern person's.
What they found was some massive teeth that were so big
they thought they were cave bear teeth.
But then they were sequenced, and they realized it's a new
human cousin who may have been 7-, 8-foot tall
with massive skulls and jaws.
It's really a curveball to anthropology.
NARRATOR: Further analysis of the teeth
revealed they were more than 50,000 years old
and belong to a previously unknown human subspecies that
has been named the Denisovans.
From what little evidence of the bones and the teeth
that have been found, not only at the Denisova
cave in Siberia, but also a huge jawbone
that was found in a cave on the Tibetan Plateau.
There is every indication that giants really did walk
the Earth in ancient times.
NARRATOR: Could the human family trade have once included
a branch with actual giants?
Many experts believe it's possible,
not only because of the fossil evidence,
but also because legends of extraordinarily large beings
have persisted for thousands of years.
In the European tradition, we have creatures like giants
that are very, very widespread.
We know now that folklore can last thousands of years.
So could ancient people have encountered Denisovans
and interpreted them as giants, as sort of brutish,
as living differently from us but still
able to interact with us?
Or maybe they dug up some bones and stumbled across them
and said, wow, these guys look really different than we do,
and then came up with the story.
I'm sure there are other archaic versions of humanity
out there that we have not yet discovered.
So I think we're just beginning to unravel the family tree.
There are other hidden branches out there
that have not yet been found because we
don't have evidence yet.
But I think we will as the years go by.
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