| A new study suggests that the hobbits, a | | | | Australia at Crawley concluded that the small |
| diminutive people whose remains were found on | | | | stature of the Homo floresiensis was not the |
| the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003 and 2004, | | | | result of genetic defects. The study, published in |
| were real humans after all. They were originally | | | | the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, |
| classified as Homo floresiensis, a species distinct | | | | suggests that the hobbits' size was caused by a |
| from Homo sapiens but the dispute about their | | | | condition known as cretinism. This is due to a lack |
| status has never abated. | | | | of iodine. Comparing the pituitary flossa in a hobbit |
| Named after J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth heroes, | | | | skull with individuals suffering from cretinism, they |
| they became known all over the world after | | | | found a significant match and thus suggested a |
| scientific journals published a drawing by Peter | | | | new theory. |
| Schouten that describes a tiny ape-like man | | | | The remains of twelve hobbits were originally |
| carrying a furry animal on his shoulder. | | | | found in a cave in Liang Bua. Obendorf stated that |
| Many researchers think that the hobbits' small | | | | it is an area where people still suffer from goiters |
| stature (one meter or just over three feet) and | | | | that results from iodine deficiency. The new study |
| small head were the result of microcephaly, a | | | | even mentions that local myths include stories of |
| neurological disorder that still causes some | | | | tiny people who lived in caves. |
| individuals to have an abnormally small head. They | | | | While it may be too early to discard the |
| maintain that it is not justified to classify them as | | | | microcephaly hypothesis altogether, the case for |
| a distinct species. For instance, in 2006 | | | | hobbits being real humans is much stronger than |
| Pennsylvania State University published a study | | | | before. We should probably do well to forget the |
| stating that the small head of Homo floresiensis | | | | image of an ape-like man carrying a furry animal |
| was due to microcephaly. | | | | on his shoulder and start describing hobbits as real |
| As reported by ScienceNow, a new study | | | | people. It seems that the distinction between |
| conducted by Peter Obendorf and Benjamin | | | | hobbits and humans is found only in Tolkien's |
| Kefford of the RMIT University of Melbourne and | | | | Midde-Earth but not on this earth. |
| Charles Oxnard of the University of Western | | | | |