For years, the tiny prehistoric human from Flores Island, nicknamed the "hobbit," was portrayed as a fearless hunter. Standing only about one meter tall, it was believed to have been capable of bringing down dwarf elephants many times its size.
However, a new study published in Science Advances in early July 2026 has overturned that long-held view. Its conclusion is both simple and surprising: the hobbit most likely did not hunt at all. Instead, it probably scavenged meat left behind by Komodo dragons.
Once Thought to Be a Dwarf Elephant Hunter
The hobbit, scientifically known as Homo floresiensis, was first unearthed at Liang Bua Cave in 2003. This prehistoric human inhabited Flores until around 50,000 years ago.
Inside the same cave, archaeologists discovered large numbers of bones belonging to Stegodon, a dwarf elephant that stood only about 1.2 to 1.5 meters tall. Because the hobbit's remains were found alongside those of the dwarf elephants, many researchers concluded that Homo floresiensis had hunted the animals and consumed them inside the cave.
Flores was an island of extraordinary evolutionary extremes. There, elephants evolved into dwarf forms, while lizards grew into giants, giving rise to the Komodo dragon, which can reach lengths of up to three meters.
The hobbit itself, with a brain only about one-third the size of that of modern humans, has been one of paleoanthropology's most debated discoveries since it was first identified.
A Fresh Look at the Bones from Liang Bua
A research team led by Elizabeth Grace Veatch decided to reexamine the bones. The team included scientists from several institutions, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and Bandung Institute of Technology.
The researchers analyzed 3,155 Stegodon bone fragments, representing about 27 percent of all recovered specimens, along with nearly 7,000 rodent bones. All of the remains came from sediment layers dating between 190,000 and 50,000 years ago.
Their approach focused on microscopic marks preserved on the bone surfaces. Tooth marks left by carnivores and cut marks made by stone tools produce distinct patterns. By distinguishing between them, the researchers were able to determine which species had accessed the carcasses first.
Komodo Teeth, Not Spears
The results were strikingly clear. Of the 154 marks examined, 100 were identified as Komodo dragon bite marks, while only 54 were cut marks made by stone tools used by the hobbits.
More importantly, the two types of marks appeared on different parts of the skeleton. Komodo bite marks were concentrated on the meatiest areas, such as the shoulders and thighs, whereas the hobbits' cut marks were found only on meat-poor parts, including the skull, feet, and ribs.
The two sets of marks almost never overlapped. This suggests that Komodo dragons fed on the carcasses first, while the hobbits arrived later to scavenge what remained.
To test their interpretation, the researchers conducted an experiment using a Komodo dragon named Rinca at a zoo in Atlanta. After allowing the animal to feed on a goat carcass, they examined 72 bite-marked bones under a microscope and created three-dimensional scans to serve as comparative reference material.
According to Mika Rizki Puspaningrum of Bandung Institute of Technology, Komodo dragons typically consume nearly all of the meat from their prey, sometimes leaving behind as little as 12 percent. As a result, very little edible flesh would have remained for the hobbits.
No Fire, No Big-Game Hunting
The study also challenges the idea that Homo floresiensis had mastered the use of fire for cooking. Among the thousands of rodent bones recovered from the hobbit occupation layers, not a single specimen showed evidence of burning.
This contrasts sharply with the layers associated with Homo sapiens, which appeared later and where about 20 percent of the bones bore burn marks.
Among the 3,155 Stegodon bones examined, only one showed evidence of burning, and researchers believe it was most likely associated with modern humans. Bones that had previously been interpreted as fire-blackened were instead found to have darkened through mineral staining over time.
The researchers acknowledge that their findings do not rule out every possibility. On occasion, the hobbits may still have gained access to freshly dead Stegodon carcasses.
The broader picture, however, has changed. Rather than fearless hunters capable of bringing down giant prey, Homo floresiensis now appears to have been an opportunistic scavenger that survived on an island dominated by predators.
As Elizabeth Grace Veatch notes, these prehistoric humans managed to survive in isolation on Flores until around 50,000 years ago without relying on large-game hunting. Their success may have reflected not hunting prowess, but remarkable adaptability.
