In 2003, paleoanthropologists made a groundbreaking announcement regarding Homo floresiensis, a remarkable small-brained species discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores. Despite standing only 109 centimeters (3.5 feet) tall and possessing a brain about one-third the size of modern humans, this extinct hominin was initially thought to have engaged in sophisticated behaviors such as hunting large prey and controlling fire. However, a recent study from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History challenges this narrative.
Reconstruction of Homo floresiensis. Image credit: Elizabeth Danes.
According to lead author E. Grace Veitch, Ph.D., “Homo floresiensis was initially believed to exhibit advanced behavior for a small-brained hominid, primarily based on evidence of fire use and large prey hunting.”
For instance, remains of Homo floresiensis and the dwarf proboscidean Stegodon florensis insularis were found together at Liang Bua, accompanied by a substantial number of stone artifacts, which had previously been interpreted as tools for “big game” hunting.
“Some of the small animal carcasses discovered were charred, indicating they were burned,” noted Dr. Veitch, highlighting that although Homo floresiensis had relatively small brains, they might have been sophisticated in fire usage.
In their study, Dr. Veitch and her team analyzed over 3,100 Stegodon bone fragments and approximately 7,000 rodent remains recovered from Liang Bua Cave.
To differentiate between marks made by human tools and those left by predators, they conducted a feeding experiment with captive Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) at Zoo Atlanta, feeding them goat carcasses.
The resultant tooth imprints were then compared to those found in fossil bones from Liang Bua.
The findings revealed evidence that both humans and Komodo dragons fed on Stegodon remains. However, the patterns indicated that the giant lizards likely had first access to the carcasses.
Komodo dragon tooth marks were concentrated on flesh-rich bones, while Homo floresiensis primarily left cuts on low-value skeletal remains, such as ribs and phalanges.
Furthermore, no evidence of projectile weapons or impact damage indicating active hunting was discovered.
This suggests that these hominins might have primarily scavenged raw meat from carcasses rather than actively hunting large prey.
The analysis shows that the Stegodon population experienced a combination of primary access by Komodo dragons and secondary access by Homo floresiensis.
Evidence for fire use was also minimal. Only one rib fragment from Stegodon displayed signs of burning, leading researchers to conclude that it was likely exposed to fire set by modern humans at a later date.
Rodent remains likewise revealed a similar trend; about 20% of rat bones had signs of burning attributed to Homo sapiens, while over 4,200 rodent remains associated with Homo floresiensis showed no fire damage.
Overall, these findings indicate that Homo floresiensis may not have been the technologically advanced and fire-utilizing big-game hunter previously envisioned.
Dr. Veitch remarked, “Homo floresiensis was originally thought to exhibit complex behavior and cognition, potentially due to its lineage from smaller ancestors that evolved in isolation, such as Homo erectus.”
However, the evidence supporting complex behaviors, such as advanced tool use and fire control, has considerably weakened over time.
Without fire, it’s unlikely that Homo floresiensis developed the intestinal physiology or masticatory anatomical adaptations necessary to optimize energy intake from cooked foods, as seen in other hominins.
Moreover, the skeletal structure of Homo floresiensis—notably their limb proportions—complicates traditional hunting methods.
Therefore, current evidence suggests that Homo floresiensis did not possess a behavioral repertoire as diverse or adaptable as modern humans or Neanderthals, likely due to their ancestors’ lack of large-scale hunting practices and controlled fire use.
This study was published in the Journal of Scientific Progress on July 3, 2026.
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E. Grace Veitch et al. (2026). Taphonomic Analysis at Liang Bua Reveals Human Behavioral and Technological Capabilities of Homo floresiensis. Scientific Progress 12(27); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aeb7219
Source: www.sci.news