New Fossils Reveal Tiny Ancestors of Indonesia's 'Hobbits'

A 700,000-year-old arm bone on Flores Island points to a lineage descending from Asian Homo erectus.

New fossils suggest Homo floresiensis evolved from smaller ancestors.
The 700,000-year-old humerus is the smallest adult upper arm bone found.
Evidence supports the theory that H. floresiensis descended from Asian H. erectus.
The discovery adds to the understanding of hominin evolution in Southeast Asia.
Further research is needed to fully understand the evolutionary history of Flores hominins.