Hobbits are usually found feasting, drinking, gardening and destroying rings in Tolkien's fictional Middle-Earth. But in reality, ancient remains indicate that hobbit-sized humanoids once lived on the Indonesian island of Flores. While researchers found artifacts such as stone tools, there was no evidence of dark lords or broken swords.
The ancient remains belonged to Homo floresiensis, also known as the Flores Hobbit or simply, hobbit. As more research goes into the Flores Hobbit, it leaves us with a few questions. Mainly, is H. floresiensis still alive today?
The Island of Flores
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the island of Flores may have never experienced a land bridge that allowed the introduction of new species to the ecosystem.
During the Pleistocene Epoch (Ice Age), the island was home to various creatures, including Komodo dragons, giant tortoises, giant rodents and the Stegodon — a prehistoric elephant ancestor.
