Scientists discover how real-life hobbits went extinct and why modern humans are at fault: study

They came up a little short.A small archaic hominid known as the “hobbit” might have died out around 50,000 years ago after declining rainfall levels forced them to compete with modern humans, among other factors, researchers suggested.A study detailing their extinction was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

“New evidence suggests a period of extreme drought starting about 61,000 years ago may have contributed to the hobbits’ disappearance,” study co-author Nick Scroxton, of the University College Dublin, wrote in a piece for The Conversation.Dubbed Homo floresiensis, the bite-sized bipeds were initially discovered in 2003 in the Liang Bua cave on Flores — a small volcanic island located some 300 miles east of Java.It’s yet unclear when these hominids came on the scene, although their oldest known remains have been dated back 100,000 years, while their most ancient implements are nearly twice that old.They stood just over three feet tall and boasted large flat feet, earning them the moniker “hobbits” after the short Shire-dwelling protagonists from the “Lord Of The Rings” books.Since their discovery, scientists have been trying to determine how the species lived — and died off.The aforementioned researchers suspected that the hobbits’ extirpation had to do with a drought in the region after analysis of a stalagmite in Liang Bua revealed a serious decline in rainfall, Livescience reported.By analyzing the cave protuberance’s rate of growth and ratio of magnesium to calcium carbonate — a clear indicator of a water shortage — scientists were able to deduce that the rainfall declined from 61.4 inches 6,000 years ago to 40 inches 61,000 years ago.

This paltry precipitation rate would continue through 50,000 years ago, per the study.If that wasn’t apocalyptic enough, a nearby volcano erupted around that time, blanketing the region in debris, further leaving the hobbits knee-high and dry.The scientists also...