Homo floresiensis scavenged Komodo dragon leftovers

New research suggests the ancient human relatives known as "hobbits" were likely scavengers who fed on the raw leftovers of giant reptiles, rather than the skilled hunters capable of using fire that scientists once believed them to be. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, adds to a growing reassessment of the cognitive and technological capabilities of Homo floresiensis.

The diminutive hominins, standing just over a meter tall with brains slightly larger than a chimpanzee's, lived on the Indonesian island of Flores until approximately 50,000 years ago. Their remains, first discovered in Liang Bua cave in 2003, were found alongside stone tools and bones of Stegodon, a dwarf relative of elephants, leading to initial interpretations that they hunted large game and controlled fire.

To test these claims, researchers conducted a novel experiment. They fed a goat carcass to a captive Komodo dragon at Zoo Atlanta to document the distinctive tooth marks left by the giant lizards. The team then compared these marks to over 3,000 Stegodon bone fragments from the cave layers associated exclusively with Homo floresiensis.

The analysis revealed a clear pattern. Komodo dragon...