Hobbit-like Humans Had Bigger Brains Than We Thought, Study Shows

Researchers in Japan have concluded that Homo floresiensis - the now-extinct hobbit-like species of hominin discovered in Indonesia in 2003 - had a much larger brain than previously thought.

The tiny folks lived on the island of Flores until about 12,000 years ago. They were only about three foot, six inches tall, with legs short relative to their arms and feet, which some researchers believe is primitive. The new findings on brain size strengthen the theory that the hobbits evolved from our own ancestor, Homo erectus, Discovery News reports.

To study the hobbit brains, researchers used high-definition micro-CT scanning to image the brains. They determined that the H. floresiensis brains took up a volume of 426cc. Previous estimates placed the brain volume at 400cc, not a massive difference, but the newly updated measurements put the size of H. floresiensis brains on par with that of a chimpanzee.

The difference, according to Discovery news, "means it was possible for a Homo erectus population to have evolved such brains. The prior estimate ruled that out, since there is only so much shrinkage that could have taken place."

The researchers believe that a population of Homo erectus somehow made it to the tiny island of Flores and never left.

Study co-author Yousuke Kaifu told Discovery News that the species' "unique evolution suggests they did not go out of the island once they got there."

Kaifu and his colleagues published their research in latest Proceedings of the Royal Society B.