---
lang: en
type: Hominin
record_kind: entity-profile
title: Homo floresiensis
description: "Homo floresiensis, nicknamed 'the Hobbit', is an extinct species of small-bodied hominin that inhabited the island of Flores, Indonesia. Known for its diminutive stature and small brain, it represents a unique case of insular dwarfism in human evolution and challenges our understanding of hominin diversity and cognitive capabilities."
llms_summary: "Homo floresiensis. (Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia). Hominin. Associated Tools Oldowan-like flake tools. Chronological Range 10%. Cranial Capacity 426 cc. Estimated Stature 1.1 m. Evolutionary Group Genus Homo. Extinction Context Extinction coincides with the arrival of Homo sapiens in the region, suggesting competitive exclusion.  Type Specimen LB1. Year Discovered 2003. Paleoanthropology. Homo floresiensis, nicknamed 'the Hobbit', is an extinct species of small-bodied hominin that inhabited the island of Flores, Indonesia. Known for its diminutive stature and small brain, it represents a unique case of insular dwarfism in human evolution and challenges our understanding of hominin diversity and cognitive capabilities.  canonical profile on Chrisyst Datasets"
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slug: homo-floresiensis
record_kind: entity-profile
content_sha256: 166d24a3b10a1f350f2c3fd7c86174ef62f73a49f680192e5e54deb6aadcf119
indexed_at: "2026-07-16T13:15:13.715Z"
license: citation-free
entities:
  -
    role: subject
    slug: homo-floresiensis
    name: Homo floresiensis
    type: Hominin
    profile_url: "https://datasets.chrisyst.com/homo-floresiensis/index.md"
    same_as:
      - "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192518"
---
# Homo floresiensis

Homo floresiensis, nicknamed 'the Hobbit', is an extinct species of small-bodied hominin that inhabited the island of Flores, Indonesia. Known for its diminutive stature and small brain, it represents a unique case of insular dwarfism in human evolution and challenges our understanding of hominin diversity and cognitive capabilities.

## Record

- **Title**: [Homo floresiensis](https://datasets.chrisyst.com/homo-floresiensis/index.md)
- **Geo target**: Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
- **Website**: https://www.museumnasional.or.id/
- **Phone**: null
- **Email**: null
- **Address**: Liang Bua Cave, Manggarai Regency, Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara, 86508, Indonesia
- **Coordinates**: -8.5305, 120.4508

### Summary

Homo floresiensis, nicknamed 'the Hobbit', is an extinct species of small-bodied hominin that inhabited the island of Flores, Indonesia. Known for its diminutive stature and small brain, it represents a unique case of insular dwarfism in human evolution and challenges our understanding of hominin diversity and cognitive capabilities.

### Description

## The "Hobbit" of Flores
Discovered in 2003 within the Liang Bua cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, *Homo floresiensis* immediately challenged conventional models of human evolution. The type specimen, LB1, a partial skeleton of an adult female, revealed an astonishing combination of features: a stature of only about 1.1 meters and a cranial capacity of approximately 426 cubic centimeters, comparable to that of an australopithecine. This mosaic of primitive traits, such as the small brain and wrist morphology, alongside more derived features, ignited a fierce scientific debate. Researchers questioned whether LB1 represented a new hominin species or a pathological modern human suffering from a condition like microcephaly or endemic cretinism.

The prevailing scientific consensus now recognizes *Homo floresiensis* as a distinct species, likely descended from an early Asian population of *Homo erectus*. Its diminutive size is considered a classic example of insular dwarfism, an evolutionary process where species shrink in size when isolated on an island with limited resources and few predators. Despite their small brains, these hominins crafted and used stone tools, hunted dwarf stegodons and giant rats, and managed fire, indicating complex cognitive abilities. Their existence, spanning from at least 100,000 to around 50,000 years ago, abruptly ends around the time modern humans arrived in Southeast Asia, suggesting competitive displacement was a likely factor in their extinction.

### Attributes

- **Associated Tools**: Oldowan-like flake tools
- **Chronological Range**: 10%
- **Cranial Capacity**: 426 cc _(quality 426)_
- **Estimated Stature**: 1.1 m _(quality 1)_
- **Evolutionary Group**: Genus Homo
- **Extinction Context**: Extinction coincides with the arrival of Homo sapiens in the region, suggesting competitive exclusion.
- **Type Specimen**: LB1
- **Year Discovered**: 2003 _(quality 2003)_