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Why are you misleading us on this subject? first you say Island of Flores, and than You mention the island of Java... if you speak about anything, please do some factual research before you spread your garbage all over the planet.🦧
I love when Hank grows more and more intense -- and deservedly so! (I got an ad for Furbies somewhere in there and couldn't help picturing them as part of that missing fossil record)
I've been following the small Floresian hominin development over the years too, and this video was an instant click for me. I've got to say, you really nailed the pronunciation for Liang Bua there.
I had always heard that they were just the result of island dwarfism, so hearing that they potentially were direct descendants of a hominid species other than homo erectus is exciting.
They probably weren't around very long, and got squeezed out in the region into smaller pockets and islands. There might be some of their DNA floating around in some of those pygmy tribes yet.
I can't even imagine being the last of your kind, of course you might not think about it that way but if you're living alone on an island and everyone else is gone, that can't be pleasant.
I doubt they knew they were living on an island. The island is not that small. Also, they would not know they were the last one, only the last one within their tribe.
@@pbtube58 It’s also possible that there was still a sizable population of them living there when the first Homo sapiens arrived on the island. And you know what most likely would’ve happened then …
Great video! To add a lil more context, Theres been a ton of research in the past couple of years looking into why some of be Homo floresiensis characteristics look more archaic. One of the theories is that scaling of limb proportions and body size due to selective pressures are not always linear. This could then produce the more australopithecine-looking proportions while still derived from Homo erectus.
My physical anthropology prof had a former student who was involved with some of those digs, he talked about that controversy and there was so much conflict there. Good lord, it was bad.
The only thing that could make me more excited about adding to the story of the hobbits would be watching Hank be SO EXCITED telling us the unfolding story of ever more hobbit information!! :D
Wait, I want to hear what "Team Pathology" had to say when the other specimens were found! Or are they still beating that drum? We haven't gotten to the dregs of this tea yet!
Was googling Homo floriensis and started to read the first text I saw and read "les fossiles ont été découverts en 2003 dans la grotte de Liang Bua, sur l'ile indonésienne de Florès." at the same time Hank said it (in english) at 00:37 !!! Just a fun thought.
Hank, I’m so happy to see you enjoying yourself. You love to learn for the sake of learning and that’s a great quality in a person. You take care love you John and your families. Happy Thanksgiving.
My old palaeontology professor believed firmly they were H. erectus that had suffered island dwarfism, but that really doesn't explain archaic traits like the wrist bones. Maybe they got to SE Asia the same way apes did, trouble is lack of evidence. Oh and I also agree with her that it was H. ergaster that left Africa and then evolved into H. erectus in Asia.
Before starting the video, I'm guessing this is going to be about _Homo floresiensis_ (currently learning about early _Homo_ in my Human Origins class 😂) ***CALLED IT!!!*** The most popular hypothesis is that they were derived from _Homo erectus_ that ended up on the island of Flores in Indonesia via a rafting event. They likely shrunk in size due to insular dwarfism. Smaller mammals have a higher chance of survival on islands, because there are fewer resources and even though there is a lot of organic diversity, there wasn't much of each.
Note that intelligence is not necessarily closely correlated with brain size. Just consider corvid birds (crows, magpies, jays, ...) which are super-bright, use tools, and hold grudges and even pass the grudges along to their children and other relatives.
BRUH I just had an exam a week ago with a question on why homo floresiensis were small and why they had a small cranium capacity I was like these guys are cool but I can only guess.
Dungeons and Dragons used to have Hobbits, but shortly after calling them that had to change the name to Halflings. An old computer game series Ultima also had Hobbits in one of the first volumes. Then changed the race name to Bobbits.
The creative part of my mind now imagines an inter-archipelagan confederation of little people, riding Komodo Dragons and fighting off and hiding from their giant, 2 meter cousins.
3:31 Hank, you run a huge media company dedicated to making informational videos. Be the change you want to see in the world! New Complexly production: Academic Drama
A netflix show about it could be so heartwrenching. Especially if we cut back to "footage" of her, thousands of years ago, living her life, and expanding our view of it as the science grows, then cut back to scientists and the way they talk about/treat her. Oh no Im tearing up
There are still Hobbits we just don't use that terminology. Pygmies in Africa used to be the domibant group in Subsaharan Africa before the Bantu expansion 2000 years ago being pushed to East Africa. Due to superstitious beliefs around them having magical powers resulting in the being assaulted or cannibalized resulting in group becoming more marginalized.
Pygmies differ to 'Hobbits' in multiple ways, most notable on average pygmy groups(even flores pygmy's) are 15 inches taller. structurally their different as well.
@@inaaronshead7331 That is correct but I am using the more classical colloquial idea of a hobbit which is used to describe a people group of small stature which would also include the groups that fit the scientific definition. I don't particurally like the term Hobbit by the way even for past groups because of its use in folklore it doesn't have as a respectful connotation but if we strip the connotations they are basically the same thing.
Without knowing pretty much anything about the area, ecology, currents, and the population distribution, I'm going to guess their appearance in Flores is due to something like a vegetative raft from East Africa to Flores, similar to those that led to primates appearing in South America. It would explain the localisation to a single island and the lack of evidence of migration from Africa. They may have been eliminated as _Homo sapiens_ migrated from mainland Asia through Indonesia to Australia, maybe just outcompeted since they probably occupied a similar elecogical niche. But again, there are probably dozens of pieces of evidence that discredit these hypotheses.
Islands!?? You talk about the islands where the fossils were found, but not the fact that sea levels were low enough that these were not islands at the time of the inhabitants. Java, for example, was part of the mainland until ~10k years ago. Many of the other islands mentioned would have been part of an extended peninsula. All this depends on the exact timing, of coarse, and I don't know how many details of the terrain are known yet. Probably worth looking into for a deep dive like this one.
@astroplushproductions salty cause you weren't? I'm confused why it matters enough for you to comment that it doesn't. Such action kind of negates the point you're trying to make, doesn't it? Lol
Come to Argentina. Everybody heres a Hobbit. all day round merry around, get some extra food, get something to drink. Ok come to Cordoba actually, u try some fernet, ill get a pipe and we smoke as we party
Them Hobbits is still around, they is. I sees them from the island lands walking about the shire round here all the time. Say this with a cheesy cockney accent.
I think that the story about the guy blocking any research that might prove him wrong is something that deserves more attention. I don't think I need a reference to claim that most research is done by humans, and humans are flawed and easily influenced by factors other than straight-up logical thinking, which is a huge argument in the discussion about the validity of lots of research, especially in areas that are culturally controversial.
I doubt it's the place that made them small, because for one, during that time the sea was a lot different during those times. But I'm pretty sure that they went extinct because of how small the island is.
Aren't there still what we might call "pygmy tribes" living in parts of sub-Saharan Africa? I'm honestly asking; I don't have a lot of knowledge on the subject. As far as I understand, what we would call a "pygmy" are more than a meter tall on average, so are they not quite comparable in terms of size?
Visit brilliant.org/scishow/ to get started learning STEM for free. The first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription and a 30-day free trial.
Why so many itty bitty Italians in present day?
Why are you misleading us on this subject?
first you say Island of Flores, and than You mention the island of Java...
if you speak about anything, please do some factual research before you spread your garbage all over the planet.🦧
This species truly feels like something out of a fantasy story, yet it’s a real part of our history. Just incredible!
I love when Hank grows more and more intense -- and deservedly so!
(I got an ad for Furbies somewhere in there and couldn't help picturing them as part of that missing fossil record)
I've been following the small Floresian hominin development over the years too, and this video was an instant click for me. I've got to say, you really nailed the pronunciation for Liang Bua there.
I had always heard that they were just the result of island dwarfism, so hearing that they potentially were direct descendants of a hominid species other than homo erectus is exciting.
They probably weren't around very long, and got squeezed out in the region into smaller pockets and islands. There might be some of their DNA floating around in some of those pygmy tribes yet.
0:19
What do you mean scishow is more than a decade old???? You take that back right now
0:19
I can't even imagine being the last of your kind, of course you might not think about it that way but if you're living alone on an island and everyone else is gone, that can't be pleasant.
I doubt they knew they were living on an island. The island is not that small. Also, they would not know they were the last one, only the last one within their tribe.
@@pbtube58 It’s also possible that there was still a sizable population of them living there when the first Homo sapiens arrived on the island. And you know what most likely would’ve happened then …
Don't help that it typically happens as a result of genocide
@@danieloneal7137 Do you mean reproduction or death? Both could be possible, although I don't know how much dna there is
There was a guy that was viewed alone living on an island the last of his tribe. Then disappeared and is assumed died.
Great video! To add a lil more context, Theres been a ton of research in the past couple of years looking into why some of be Homo floresiensis characteristics look more archaic. One of the theories is that scaling of limb proportions and body size due to selective pressures are not always linear. This could then produce the more australopithecine-looking proportions while still derived from Homo erectus.
This was a nice little video, it cleared up some small confusion and went into minute detail on tiny things. Big success.
My physical anthropology prof had a former student who was involved with some of those digs, he talked about that controversy and there was so much conflict there. Good lord, it was bad.
The only thing that could make me more excited about adding to the story of the hobbits would be watching Hank be SO EXCITED telling us the unfolding story of ever more hobbit information!! :D
Thank you for introducing the mid-roll ad! It's so much less jarring now. I still skip through it, but it's a more pleasant experience overall!
Wait, I want to hear what "Team Pathology" had to say when the other specimens were found! Or are they still beating that drum? We haven't gotten to the dregs of this tea yet!
Congrats on 8 million subs!
Always love hearing how excited you were about a new discovery ☺️
Still lovin' your zesty delivery, Hank❣
They're taking the Hobbits to Liang Bua Cave!
Hank had the best tea on “science drama”.
Here's the long and short of it.
Kudos to whomever wrote that joke. I giggled.
one of the most amazing finds of my life time.
Was googling Homo floriensis and started to read the first text I saw and read "les fossiles ont été découverts en 2003 dans la grotte de Liang Bua, sur l'ile indonésienne de Florès." at the same time Hank said it (in english) at 00:37 !!! Just a fun thought.
"I was 23, and I read a lot of science news"
Hey, just like me!
Hank, I’m so happy to see you enjoying yourself. You love to learn for the sake of learning and that’s a great quality in a person. You take care love you John and your families. Happy Thanksgiving.
My old palaeontology professor believed firmly they were H. erectus that had suffered island dwarfism, but that really doesn't explain archaic traits like the wrist bones.
Maybe they got to SE Asia the same way apes did, trouble is lack of evidence.
Oh and I also agree with her that it was H. ergaster that left Africa and then evolved into H. erectus in Asia.
Thanks. A correction - the right skull in minute 4:28 is of Homo Sapiens, not Erectus.
Before starting the video, I'm guessing this is going to be about _Homo floresiensis_ (currently learning about early _Homo_ in my Human Origins class 😂)
***CALLED IT!!!***
The most popular hypothesis is that they were derived from _Homo erectus_ that ended up on the island of Flores in Indonesia via a rafting event. They likely shrunk in size due to insular dwarfism. Smaller mammals have a higher chance of survival on islands, because there are fewer resources and even though there is a lot of organic diversity, there wasn't much of each.
Note that intelligence is not necessarily closely correlated with brain size. Just consider corvid birds (crows, magpies, jays, ...) which are super-bright, use tools, and hold grudges and even pass the grudges along to their children and other relatives.
Everyone always talks about H. Floresiensis, but what about H. Luzonensis? Why is she the Jan Brady of the hobit sized humans?
Very cool, Have we found any skeletons in Isengard
But had they hairy feet?
They may well have had hairy everything.
Second breakfast?
@@aoifedeborha2420 Of course, because of the evidence of her cooking.
I want a miniature elephant.
*"The Shire" intensifies*
Naturally, I got this as soon as it was posted lol
Same! Clicked on it immediately.
Finally Something to Watch : )
BRUH I just had an exam a week ago with a question on why homo floresiensis were small and why they had a small cranium capacity I was like these guys are cool but I can only guess.
Finally some good news 📰
Dungeons and Dragons used to have Hobbits, but shortly after calling them that had to change the name to Halflings.
An old computer game series Ultima also had Hobbits in one of the first volumes. Then changed the race name to Bobbits.
And Elves and Fuzzies.
Then Lord British went on a genocide spree and the others vanished.
wait...
@@Zeithri No wonder the games make it a challenge to figure out how to do him in. "Yes, that is precisely the thing to do, Avatar."
I have been playing D&D since around 1979, and halflings were called halflings. So when were they supposedly called hobbits?
@@flarvin8945 1978
@@flarvin8945Before Tolkien's estate got on their case and threatened to sue. Balrogs became Balor and Ents Treant.
Hobbit on the cover image, green logo in the corner… I half expected to hear Robert from In Deep Geek when I clicked this.
3:24 Same.
The creative part of my mind now imagines an inter-archipelagan confederation of little people, riding Komodo Dragons and fighting off and hiding from their giant, 2 meter cousins.
I came for the hobbies, I stayed for the hank!!
Dang 37 seconds! 😮
A+ with that title. 😉
Loving this "content" about "research". Joking aside, excellent video as always.
😂😂
Rumor his it they still exist staring in underground yakuza videos
fun fact, Viggo Mortensen actually broke his foot on that helmet
😂
Hahaha yes!!!
This is gotta be on of the most factuall fact there is
Lol
Fun for whom? 😮
Long and short of it, but more the short of it.
I feel smarther
3:31 Hank, you run a huge media company dedicated to making informational videos. Be the change you want to see in the world! New Complexly production: Academic Drama
puns all over the place.
I got Thumbnail baited and not even mad about it
Antropologists can tell A LOT from morphology without looking at DNA.
4:23 "Another short homo species".
I feel seen.
cool
same reason I am
But how many times a day did they eat breakfast?
Don't let Sauron know about Flores
Why are Pigmies small?
To which they would likely reply, why are you so tall?
Just like the mammoths that were left on that Siberian island...
Wait are you telling me you're in your mid 40s?! Witchcraft! Or.... Science?
Hibbitz
23 in 2003? I thought you were late 20s at best.
poor lil guys, shrank and shrank and now they're gone
A netflix show about it could be so heartwrenching. Especially if we cut back to "footage" of her, thousands of years ago, living her life, and expanding our view of it as the science grows, then cut back to scientists and the way they talk about/treat her. Oh no Im tearing up
4:40 it probably was Rick Moranis with a shrink ray. Honey, I shrunk the neighbourhood. Or to be exact, the whole island.
am i being stupid to point out that i feel like we DONT really know the FIRST hominid to cross over?
How does this all link in with indigenous Australians? Seeing as they have been here for at least 60k years?
Convergent evolution?
!!!!
i’m sorry scishow i only watch when hank is on
It's really hard for me to process a time interval of 600,000 years!
To save energy for all the extra mealtimes??? Wait....
What about the Nazca Mommies? :P
I feel like saying 50,000 years is not that long needs context but sounds more interesting that way
island dwarfism?
5:18 they explain why this of most likely not the case but then explain that there might be contradictory evidence to that one
So... the Elves picked up some Hobbits in Europe and then dropped them off on a far away island? The important question is WHY?
There are still Hobbits we just don't use that terminology. Pygmies in Africa used to be the domibant group in Subsaharan Africa before the Bantu expansion 2000 years ago being pushed to East Africa. Due to superstitious beliefs around them having magical powers resulting in the being assaulted or cannibalized resulting in group becoming more marginalized.
Pygmies differ to 'Hobbits' in multiple ways, most notable on average pygmy groups(even flores pygmy's) are 15 inches taller. structurally their different as well.
Many people in Hawaii believe there are tiny people living there too. The Hawaiians I heard interviewed are afraid of them too.
@@inaaronshead7331 That is correct but I am using the more classical colloquial idea of a hobbit which is used to describe a people group of small stature which would also include the groups that fit the scientific definition. I don't particurally like the term Hobbit by the way even for past groups because of its use in folklore it doesn't have as a respectful connotation but if we strip the connotations they are basically the same thing.
1:07 She doesn’t look a day over 50,000.
Without knowing pretty much anything about the area, ecology, currents, and the population distribution, I'm going to guess their appearance in Flores is due to something like a vegetative raft from East Africa to Flores, similar to those that led to primates appearing in South America. It would explain the localisation to a single island and the lack of evidence of migration from Africa. They may have been eliminated as _Homo sapiens_ migrated from mainland Asia through Indonesia to Australia, maybe just outcompeted since they probably occupied a similar elecogical niche. But again, there are probably dozens of pieces of evidence that discredit these hypotheses.
You are 44
But look like 28
I think there is a possibility that the Homo Floresiensis might have a connection to the legendary Menehune people.
The rest of the hobbits sailed west with the Elves
Island dwarfism/gigantism my beloved
Islands!??
You talk about the islands where the fossils were found, but not the fact that sea levels were low enough that these were not islands at the time of the inhabitants. Java, for example, was part of the mainland until ~10k years ago. Many of the other islands mentioned would have been part of an extended peninsula. All this depends on the exact timing, of coarse, and I don't know how many details of the terrain are known yet. Probably worth looking into for a deep dive like this one.
First
Imma call you quick draw. I thought I was fast but you still beat me. 😂
Doesn’t matter
IT does
@@init_yeah not really
@astroplushproductions salty cause you weren't? I'm confused why it matters enough for you to comment that it doesn't. Such action kind of negates the point you're trying to make, doesn't it? Lol
Come to Argentina.
Everybody heres a Hobbit. all day round merry around, get some extra food, get something to drink.
Ok come to Cordoba actually, u try some fernet, ill get a pipe and we smoke as we party
Them Hobbits is still around, they is. I sees them from the island lands walking about the shire round here all the time. Say this with a cheesy cockney accent.
I think that the story about the guy blocking any research that might prove him wrong is something that deserves more attention. I don't think I need a reference to claim that most research is done by humans, and humans are flawed and easily influenced by factors other than straight-up logical thinking, which is a huge argument in the discussion about the validity of lots of research, especially in areas that are culturally controversial.
Convergent evolution, ...something that this speaker forgot to mention.
god i hope we clone them some day
Children of the forest
I doubt it's the place that made them small, because for one, during that time the sea was a lot different during those times. But I'm pretty sure that they went extinct because of how small the island is.
Aren't there still what we might call "pygmy tribes" living in parts of sub-Saharan Africa? I'm honestly asking; I don't have a lot of knowledge on the subject. As far as I understand, what we would call a "pygmy" are more than a meter tall on average, so are they not quite comparable in terms of size?
Sadly, we may never know how hairy their feet were.
Island dwarfism
Bold of you to assume I’m cool enough to know what Tolkien’s Hobbits were. Also accurate, but most certainly bold. 😬😎
How about instead of sea level rise, we lower sea levels & excavate the Sunda Shelf ?
Or, hear me out... Goblins and Hobbits went to war and it didn't end well.
Neadershorts
The hobbits ended up in Indonesia because they were looking for volcanoes to throw their magic rings into.